A Second Chance
by Koorihouka
Summary: Truth can deceive even the best of lie-detectors. Through mystery enshrouding the new kid, what can the Vongola Family see? Something is going on over in Italy that is ruining the Mafia World. Once they've seen the future, how is it connected to the past?
1. Act 0: Prologue

This was originally the first prolugue of my rewrite version, but I liked this version better, so yeah. I was written a long time ago, but not as long ago as the other one.

For those who want to see the original, please ask me via PM or review, if you're going to.

Anyways, I don't own KHR, and enjoy the story...

Any places I should fix, please please review the story about it. THANKS~!

:D

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There was a shooting star in the night sky that night, a few days before living hell had intruded into the Sawada household, by the name of Reborn.

A thirteen-year-old boy with big, brown eyes and spiky, unkempt hair stepped gingerly out into the light of the stars millions of light years away.

That faithful day, when he unconsciously changed the whole of the world's fate, Tsuna found a shooting star.

_Make a wish._

He watched as it crossed the sky, shining brightly, displaying its dazzling brilliance unlike that of anything Tsuna had ever seen before.

_Star bright._

He saw the shooting star spread its glow into the dark, sharing its warmth even with the coldest stars burning with ice fire.

_Star light._

He gazed at the star wondrously, as it sped around the sky giving happiness, joy, and bliss to those in need of it.

_Traveling star I see tonight._

He looked at its yearning and its pleading.

_I wish I may._

Its hope and its dream.

_I wish I might._

To someday touch the earth.

_Have this wish._

Just this once.

_A wish tonight._

And, as everyone knows, he might have been the most self-less person in the world. Even before he was involved with the mafia.

_When you finally touch the earth, I wish that something good will happen to me. I wish that something good will happen to me, and after our wishes are fulfilled, I want to see you one last time, star. One last time._

.......xXx.

At the same time, we see a child. A child in Europe. Her beautiful locks of black hair were tainted with contaminated water, and her delicate fingers rid it of as much of the water as she could. She, too, looked at the sky. However, the sky was painted with blood. A sliver of blinding yellow gradually appeared on the horizon.

On impulse, she said happily, "Look, Mama, Pa! It's the sunrise!"

But then she remembered. Downcast eyes were hidden with filthy hair as tears mixed with the puddles of water blanketing the paved stone road.

A little ways from her, two bodies twisted beyond recognition laid on the street.

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Ah, I'm sure you readers have noted sections from the original text. I didn't want to change them, and that's that.

Please continue this story, everyone! I want reviews!!


	2. Act 00: The Beginning

Now here is the prologue for the OTHER side!

XD

I don't own KHR, though I wish I did.

XP

Oh well, enjoy!

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We see a beautiful city, full of colorful lights and little stores that sold whatever you liked. Boats flowing about the water 'roads', people singing love songs. People chatting away in waterside cafés. That was Venice. However, beneath that was the mafia. Underwater, and at the same time, underground. The Estreano family secretly thrived there. They had fallen, and now tested new weapons on whatever children they can find. They mistakenly awakened Rokudo Mukuro's Six Lives and Ken's Animal Channels at another site; however, the site now stood broken and long forgotten. The site here beneath Venice worked on other projects: the curse of the Arcobaleno, time travel, and to imitate Mukuro's eye.

The 8-year-old child just stood there, in front of the man, shivering. She was splattered in blood and could no longer hold her common sense.

Those bad men took her away from home. They ripped her away from her best friend. They killed so many other children before her eyes. They put kids in a machine and they never came back out. And they slaughtered her parents. They-they _slaughtered _her parents and they took them away the day after. And the purpose? To use tiny slices of their body for testing. A square of skin here, a bit of muscle there. On second thought add a bit of lip and eye, too. That day, she ran for it. However, she was caught. For the girl, the last child, it was her turn to be tested. The evil men in white suits took her pacifier she inherited from her mother.

Then, another man told her to go the other way into some surgery room. She resisted. The man pulled. She still resisted. And then, the man pulled up her arm, in an effort to carry her in for surgery. Once again, the child resisted. He pulled out a gun, and shot. It was a tranquilizer, since there was no reason to test with a dead kid. Once inside, the surgeons started working on her eyes. A half hour passed, and the surgery was finished. A day later, the child awakened.

She opened her eyes to the ceiling of the facility. Her dark hair was washed and her crimson scarlet eyes working as well as before. Then, it happened. An Estreano nurse, who wholly approved of the testing, entered the room to check on the child. Before she had a chance to open her mouth in a scream, there was a spurt of blood freely flowing down her neck, her eyes lifelessly glaring ahead. The child exited the room, freely exposing the legendary vampire fangs. Her red eyes grew pale, but were filled with red once again every time she attacked the staff.

She flew down the halls, searching, raking the place for her pacifier. Her mother's pacifier. No, _hers. Corro's— no, Kuro's pacifier. _Every time she entered the wrong room, or saw them in the halls, she attacked the Estreano there. The alarm was activated. The security was no problem; she went through them as if they were nothing.

At last, she found her pacifier. She bust the door open, to find a group of Estreano scientists crowded around a machine. Inside the machine was her pacifier, _shattered. _Kuro saw no reason to rip through them and give them a quick, silent end. She saw torcher as an option. To be caught between Heaven, Hell, and Earth is indeed, painful. She had experienced that herself, after being shoved inside a so-called 'time traveling machine'. As the scientists collapsed, Kuro found her pacifier, grabbed all of the little pieces, and ran for it, before the elite of the family caught her.

After that, when the infamous Kuro seemingly disappeared from the face of the earth, the mafia around the world knew of the event, and added in the history books, naming it Black Hope's Rising. Yes, she was labeled Black Hope.

Two years later, she could no longer hold her anger. She attacked the roots of the mafia, working her way up to the top. Then she heard about Tsuna.

Terror struck the Mafioso as she went through them, some she attacked with fangs, some she attacked with illusion, some she attacked with hidden power. She invaded the Vongola Headquarters. She saw Sawada Imetsu. He would not tell the whereabouts of his son, so Kuro simply moved on, without ending the man's life. She met Basil and discovered that he as been to where Tsuna has been. They were friends, and Basil will never betray his friend. She passed him, too. Then there was Lal Mirch.

"You're great, Lal. I hope you can make it." That was all she said before moving on. Kuro hurried on, deeper into the headquarters, until she reached the Boss's office. She approached the desk and removed the chains wrapped around her repaired pacifier. It was not a mere color; it was a feeling, a moving swirl of, at first glance, white and black. The code keypad of so-called-scribbles shined in its place inside one of the drawers. Kuro reached inside and typed in the code.

'We are the Vongola, the clam. We, the shell, protect the pearl at all costs, no matter whether it has been corrupted or cracked. This, this is our vow.' The code is also a well-known vow taken by all of the Vongola when they officially swore in as Vongola. In addition, this is a direct quote from the Vongola Primo. All Vongola respect that. The problem is that they do not have a single clue to what the 'pearl' is. Some think it's the Boss, and some say it's what they truly trust the most. Only one person, aside from her, knows.

Kuro opened the secret door now unlocked by the code.

"Ninth." Kuro stepped inside and closed the door behind her.

"Kuro," greeted the Ninth, "Do you know what you've done to the mafia?"

"I was going easy. I just can't believe the mafia has fallen to this point of weakness. You have no chance of surviving if you don't fix that. I'm here on Inspection orders by the Primo, and I expect you guys to tidy up."

"I know, but the Primo isn't here yet." Kuro narrowed her eyes.

"Once again, _who is Vongola Decimo?"_

"Sawada Tsunayoshi. I thought you knew th-"

"Yes, yes I know. And his physical features match that of him. His powers. Tell me the powers, Ninth."

"He has Flame, though only the soft one. He didn't go through the Trial yet, though. Reborn's training him."

"I see..." Kuro looked worried, "Where is he?"

"Japan." Kuro groaned. She said, "So he dies and he lives, same old spot, eh?"

"Yeah..." agreed the Ninth. Kuro added, "Okay, so that little fella is going to be just like he was before when I'm done with him. Hey, I'll have to test you, too, man."

"Well, have a go at me, then." Two hours later, the Ninth was left horribly injured, but happy.

_Tsunayoshi has good taste. I hope he's not too shocked. His 'little sister' has some work to do._

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Well, I hope you readers are happy I did a little extra work for you.

XD

OBEY ME AND REVIEW!!


	3. Act 1: Enter Esper

Chyo!

It's Koori, back from the world of laziness!

XD

And here goes: Chapter 1!

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It had been 2 years and 5 weeks, or more than a month after the Ring Battle, since the night Tsuna made that wish, and still not a single event benefiting Tsuna came.

Lambo got new weapons from the Bovino family in that box poor Suoichi had to deliver, and all day, I-pin was screaming, Fuuta discovering new places to hide, Bianchi cooking up new foods to keep control, Mama excusing herself out to go shopping, and Reborn taking cover at school. Since Reborn was at school almost all the time, usually with Tsuna, he would whip up something to keep class interesting. Non-stop throughout those five weeks in school were tests Tsuna had barely any time to study for, even if he studied at Yamamoto's sushi restaurant, instead of at home. That month, Tsuna's average grade dropped a whole 6 percent. And to make matters worse, Gokudera kept firing up with his short temper, once again taking out precious studying time (though Tsuna never mentioned it to Gokudera).

The only thing that most did not notice was that every day since that night's two-year anniversary, Reborn, Dino, and Bianchi looked more and more worried. It was until five weeks were over Dame-Tsuna noticed Reborn and Bianchi looking very grim, and that Dino had long stopped coming to visit.

When he asked, they say, "It's nothing. I'll tell you later."

Tsuna told Gokudera and Yamamoto. They, in turn, told Ryohei. The four pondered on the problem for two days, until Haru and Kyoko's Self-Appreciation Day.

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"Yay! It's Haru and Kyoko's Self-Appreciation Day!"

"Cake for both of us!"

"Nahaha! All the cake is mine!"

That could have been a regular day, if Reborn, Tsuna, Gokudera, Yamamoto, and Fuuta hadn't followed them to the shop.

"Hey, I want cake, too!" added Fuuta. The four tagging along sat down at a table. The rest soon joined them.

After buying the cakes, Haru said, "Hey, you know? There's a new student from Europe in the first years. She came in yesterday."

"Really? What's she like?" asked Kyoko.

"She's really cheerful, but she's shy. She's really young, too. Maybe she skipped grades."

"What does she look like?"

Everyone looked at Reborn. He had a serious face, and it meant business. There was something wrong.

"Well...um, she had long, black hair, reddish eyes, and she's about the height of an average fifth grader."

"I see..."

That night, Tsuna had much to think about. So did Gokudera and Yamamoto. Each of them had a part of the puzzle; however, they didn't think it to be very useful.

Tsuna made a wish long ago.

Gokudera's neighbor moved away, and was replaced by another.

Yamamoto had a very bad feeling that if Reborn was agitated, it held a bad sign that something unpredictable would come in the future.

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Three days and a Saturday later, Reborn called Gokudera, Yamamoto, and Ryohei to meet at Tsuna's house.

"Hey! Why'd you invite baseball freak?!"

"To the EXTREME!!"

"And lawn head! Grr..."

"Uhm...Gokudera...calm down please..."

"Well, I wonder what we're here for," Yamamoto said.

They had some idea of what happened, although not nearly specific enough.

"I had Bianchi, Kyoko, and Haru take the kids and Mama out, so we can talk freely now."

The teenagers nodded. It was mafia-related, and very likely to be dangerous.

"We didn't think it was necessary to tell you before, since you are teenagers, but it has grown into a threat against all mafia. And you guys are the last stand."

The four just looked at Reborn. He acknowledged the unnatural silence and continued.

"Since a month and a half ago, someone has been disabling the mafia families one by one. No one knew who it was, aside from "Kuro". A week ago, it was the Cavallone, which was quickly followed by the Vongola Headquarters. The people that weren't touched didn't even number over 100 in total for all of Europe. It has been confirmed that his next target was the Tenth, and along with him, all the remaining the mafia in Japan." However, he spoke in a light tone, covering the reality, the seriousness, of the matter. He, a tutor of the most naive mafiaso in the world, couldn't tell Tsuna how many were killed, how many destroyed, how many torchered. How many died on their way to the hospital. How packed the hospitals were, and how many who died because of that. The few remaining alive were either in coma, have no chance of surviving, or under severe injury.

"Eehhh?! Then what about Dino and Basil and Dad and the 9th and Lanchia and every one else?" asked Tsuna.

"I am totally going to kill that person for making the 10th worry!"

"And what about Coronello?" asked Ryohei.

"They're all going to live," Reborn simply said. Apparently, the elites were strong enough to pass. It was certain that the named are going to survive, however, for some, their state of mind and their spirits just might've been beaten away.

"Well, then all we have to do is to be careful, right?" Yamamoto said cheerfully. Gokudera twitched, but said nothing this time.

"Nobody has seen what that person looks like, so it could be anyone."

With beaming eyes and a wide smile Gokudera announced: "Aha! I'm going to protect the Tenth just like last time!"

"No, that's not what the little guy meant."

"Oh, shut up, baseball idiot!" Gokudera's change of attitude surprised Tsuna.

"Oi!" Reborn kicked both of them in the back of their heads.

"If you two don't get along, then there would be problems in the future for Tsuna to manage you two."

"Ah! Sorry, Tenth. I promise I won't do anything you don't want me to do. I'm sorry, sorry, oh so sorry."

"Erm...It's alright, Gokudera-kun. It's alright."

"Thank you so much!!"

Tsuna thought, _This is going to be a long day, even if there_ is_ a killer on the loose._

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The next day was school.

"GOOD MORNING, JUUDAIME!!"

"Hey, Tsuna."

"Don't be friendly to the Tenth, baseball freak. AND DON'T HANG YOUR ARM ON ME."

"Um...Gokudera, remember yesterday?" attacked Yamamoto.

"Oh. AH! Juudaime, I'm sorry...I'm sorry...Sorry...Sorry..."

"I-it's alright, Gokudera-kun..."

"Thank you so much, Juudaime!!" Gokudera glowed from the apology.

"Ciaossu!"

"EEHHH?! Why are you here, Reborn?"

"Hey. Why don't you yell at Yamamoto if you want, Gokudera, but if you do too much, I'll punish you? I'll be here to watch you sometimes."

"Yeah. That might be a good idea."

"I'll do whatever Juudaime says!!"

"Sure. I don't mind."

"You piss me off, baseball freak."

Tsuna smiled.

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The bell rang. The teacher strolled in.

"Ah, good morning, class. There'll be a new student in this class, and her name is Nera-Noir Espérer. At first, she was in the highly esteemed Ladies' School, but she moved here since she skipped a few grades. We don't want to give her too many class changes and classmates too old for her. Come on in, miss."

In walked a girl. She was the average 10-year-old, who has still not reached the adult's maturity yet, just as Haru described her. The long, black hair tied in a low ponytail left out the bangs, making her look almost like a princess. There were the eyes, with red irises and white pupils. She wore a small smile on her lips, and dressed herself in the Namimori's boy's uniform, with straps buckled around her right leg. Reborn, watching from afar recognized those straps as something else: gun holster straps. She faced the class, who started discussing why this new student doesn't wear the normal girl's uniform. She would have been somewhat adorable in it, if not absolutely irrisistable.

"My-my name is Nera-Noir Corro Espérer. You ca-can call me Nera-Noir Corro Espérer, Nera-Noir Espérer, Nera Espérer, Noir Espérer, or Espérer. If you insist, I might even allow you to as far as Espér. No Miss Nera, Miss Noir, or any of that kind. Pleased to meet you." Right after that, she asked the teacher, "Sensei, where do you think I should sit?"

"Ah, my dear child, you'll sit between Gokudera and Sawada."

At that, Gokudera gaped, twitching his eye. One time, when that seat was empty, Gokudera 'accidentally' sat in the wrong seat, next to Tsuna. Sensei moved him back, accusing him of talking and interrupting class. Until now, the teacher had jumped at every chance of getting that seat filled.

"Who is..."

"Oh. Gokudera is the grey-haired punk there, and Sawada is the brown porcupine there."

"Thank you."

Gokudera thought, _How dare she call Juudaime a porcupine and me a punk. And grey-haired! I am going to kill her someday._

Once Espérer got to her seat, she politely asked Tsuna, "What are both your full names?"

"U-um...Gokudera Hayato and I'm Sawada Tsunayoshi."

She faced the front and said to both of them, "Can you two please not fight across me, make a fuss over a stupid attempt at communicating during class, annoy me, or piss me off, _else you are going to face the consequences, ebbro pianista-canaglia and amici. _Capire?"

She looked at both of them and smiled cheerfully.

Author's Note: Ebbro pianista-canaglia means drunken pianist-gangster. Amici is friends. Capire is understand. Please forgive me if it's wrong. I mix languages very easily.

With Tsuna confused, Gokudera thought, _I am so going to kill her. She confused the Juudaime! Arg... She pisses _me_ off. No wait...how did she know that I play the piano, and... Oh, great. She knows. But how??_

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The lunch bell rang. However, she called Yamamoto and Espérer to her desk. Yamamoto laughed a bit, and smiled when he didn't. Espérer smiled appreciatively, but didn't laugh. They shook hands and left. Yamamoto, dragging along Espérer, came to Tsuna and Gokudera and said, "Hey, is it okay with you guys to go on ahead? I need to give Espér the school tour during lunch."

"Actually, why don't you eat first? Going on an empty stomach isn't a very good idea," suggested Tsuna.

"Sure. What do you think, Espér?" asked Yamamoto.

"Well, um...sure, but where do we eat?"

"On the rooftop, like always." They made for the roof, but on the highest floor, Tsuna changed his mind.

"On second thought, let's eat in the classroom instead."

"Whatever you say, buddy."

"I'm with Juudaime."

"I'm sorry to be intruding, but why do you keep on calling him 'Juudaime'?"

They stopped walking.

"Um...ah..." Tsuna himself was speechless. Gokudera sealed his mouth shut. _Even if she can speak Italian and has a possibly Italian name, it doesn't mean she's mafia. She doesn't know how important Juudaime is, so it's most likely she doesn't know anything about mafia at all._

"Well..." Yamamoto started. Tsuna and Gokudera thought, _Is he (Tsuna)/baseball freak (Gokudera) going to tell her everything?_

"It's a game." All you readers know what the result out of that is. That is, except Espérer's.

"Oh." That was her reply. "Cool. Can I join, too, then?"

"Maybe."

"Oh. Do you know where the restrooms are? Thanks." The three boys walked a fair distance from the restrooms and started talking.

"Well, should we wait for her?" asked Yamamoto.

"No way, baseball freak! She pisses me off."

"It _is_ Yamamoto's job to guide Espérer around, though. It'll be bad if she get's lost."

"Ah! Sorry, Juudaime...sorry..."

"Um, it's alright, Gokudera-kun...?"

While they chatted, Espérer snuck out of the restrooms. Seeing that the boys are gone, she marched off in the other direction, both determined to find out the reason they ditched her and why that spiky-haired guy suddenly changed his mind about eating lunch on the roof.

Out on the roof, there was a little, yellow bird singing to his master his cherished song: the Namimori School Anthem.

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You know, I never knew I'd actually make a more-than-2,000-words chapter.

o o

Now you all know I did.

XD

I lurves you all!

Review and tell me HOW MUCH YOU LIKE IT!!


	4. Act 2: Recognition

Chyo!

XD

I'm back, once again, for another go at this awesome story!!

XD

And I hope you like it!

(insert Disclaimer) I do not own Katekyo or Kateikyoushi Hitman Reborn.

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Nera-Noir Corro Espérer stepped out onto the rooftop. However, there was already someone there.

"Kyouya-nii!" she squealed. Hibari narrowed his eyes and got up.

"I hate pranks. They are against disiplanary rules."

"No, no. It's really me. I'm here now."

"I'll bite you to death." Hibari raised his tonfas.

"K-Kyou-nii? Who?"

"There is no reason to tell holograms and illusions."

"Oh." She looked down, face smothered in shadow.

"Isn't it because you don't believe that I'm really here? Is it too good to be true? Isn't it since you think I'm just a hallucination, born from wishing it to be so? Isn't it because you really don't believe what you've believed for so long? Then, if you don't want to see me, then I'll be happy to-"

"No. You're here now, and I know so."

Espérer looked up, shining hope returning to her eyes.

"Still friends forever?"

"Yup."

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A little bit later...

Down the stairs they rushed, Hibari first, eyes ablaze, dragging along Espér. Past a number of halls they raced, with groups of students numbering three each at most. Every time they turned a corner, students down that hall scattered like mice. And once the pair found Tsuna, Gokudera, and Yamamoto, they stopped.

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Hibari appeared out of the blue, dragging along what looks like an extremely frightened Espérer.

"I am going to bite all three of you to death unless you explain."

"Um...uh..." Tsuna was at a loss for words.

"Well, we couldn't find her. Thanks for finding her for us, though," Yamamoto smiled.

"So you admit that you got her lost?" Hibari narrowed his eyes.

"Um, well not really. You tell him, Gokudera."

"Yes, Gokudera? What did you do? Share." Hibari smiled, and narrowing his eyes again.

"..." Gokudera bit his lip.

"Yes?" His long drawl of poison broke Tsuna.

"We ditched her!" he shouted. He could not stand being targeted by Hibari for so long, unless they were sparring.

"Oh, really?" Hibari raised an eyebrow.

"Well, Yamamoto. Since you were given this child to take care of, then you will have to be punished for not doing your duty. I am going to have to bite you to death a bit later, though. The rest of you herbivores better behave, or else you'll end up like him." Hibari continued on, still dragging along Espér. The three were surprised that they got in trouble with Hibari and still didn't get hit yet. However, Yamamoto shot a death glance at Gokudera.

A few meters away from the trio, Hibari whispered to Espér, "I'll show you around the school, then."

"Thanks, Kyou-nii."

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Her tour with Hibari lasted the remainder of school. Hibari gave permission to skip class. It didn't matter if she had classes or not, since she could cope well enough without it. Surprisingly, the tour was actually fun. She was back with her childhood friend again.

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After School...

"Bye, Juudaime!!"

"See you tomorrow, Tsuna!"

And the three separated at Tsuna's front yard. Gokudera to his apartment, Yamamoto to his sushi shop, and Tsuna back home.

As Gokudera opened the door to his apartment, the door of his neighbor's swung shut, with a leg flashing out of sight.

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The next day, before the school bell rang, Kyoko approached Espér and said, "Hi, um...I'm Kyoko. And...I'm hoping we could be friends. Sorry I didn't ask yesterday, since I was a bit nervous, and that you had such a great time with Tsuna-kun and his friends."

'_Had such a great time with Tsuna-kun and his friends?' As if. You don't know anything. They friggin' _ditched_ me and that punk Gokudera has some serious anger issues. Yelling about baseball all the time. He was so cute and kind when he was younger. Yamamoto was a bit too care-free, and that Tsuna looked like a weakling. I simply can't believe that someone with such a rebellious outer core like Hayato and such a laid-back athlete like Yamamoto could ever wait that Tsuna hand and foot. It's either they're insane or for some other unknown reason either I can't think of or is so random and bizarre that it's impossible to guess. _That was what she knew her outside person would say, but the real her would've said something else entirely.

"Um...well...sure? We could be friends. As long you or your friends don't bother me, I don't really mind."

"Great! Thanks! Then...do you want to eat lunch together later on?"

"Sure thing."

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Espér POV

Lunchtime...

The bell rang, and all of a sudden, students jumped up from their seats to eat lunch around the campus. Kyoko ran to me.

"Hey. Let's eat lunch with Tsuna-kun and his friends, too. And my onii-san. Eating together is fun. Okay?"

"Fine. First, I have to get my lunch. Go on ahead. I'll catch up later."

"Kay!" She sprinted off.

I dug my hand into my backpack and grabbed the air where my spaghetti and meatball sandwich supposedly sat. _Oh, great. It isn't here._ I franticly searched all the other pockets. _It's gone._

Oh great. It's gone. Now...who could have taken it?

Hayato.

He sits on my right side, and my backpack is in range of that punk's arms. He has his own, twisted reasons why, now that he's a teenager, and I know he has enough evil in him to actually commit the crime.

Hayato! Gokudera Hayato! How could you! I know you're better than this! You couldn't have sunk so far as to _stealing_! I am _disappointed _in you!

I grinded my teeth and ran to the rooftop. Whipping open the door, I locked on Gokudera.

"You took my lunch, didn't you?"

"Bu-"

"There is the evidence, right there in your hands. And you still don't admit it. How could you? You, the mighty Gokudera Hayato, heir of a mighty fortune, has fallen as low as _stealing. _It's bullies, bullies, bullies everywhere! I used to think better of you, you know. I'm disappointed- no...disgusted." I shot him a furious glare, and dashed down the stairs.

And I could feel his very own Juudaime give Gokudera a very, very disappointed look.

Down below the roof, I dashed to the nearest music room I could find. _Good. It's empty. _I went in and locked the door. I lowered the shutters on all the windows, and the little one on the door. From my backpack I took it out. It shined, and it glowed. There was a bright flash of light, and there was a tiny eaglet, or owlet in my and the item's place. I was that chick. Pure white down covered my body. The only visible parts that weren't white were my eyes, beak, claws, and talons.

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Tsuna gave Gokudera a very, very disappointed look. That was all Gokudera cared about. In the background, however, Kyoko said, "Eehhh?" Her brother said nothing. Yamamoto wore a frown on his face for the first time in quite a while.

"Excuse me, Juudaime!" Gokudera left to apologize, and came to a music room. He knocked. Once again, he knocked.

The shutters were lifted a little, showing only Espér's eyes. Then, the shutters were dropped and the door opened.

"What do you want, thief?"

"Um-"

"Either you're going to play, or you're going away."

"I-I'll play."

"Then you'll have to impress me how well you play. Kaa-san won't be happy if you don't play well enough."

Our pissed off Gokudera entered the room and sat before the grand piano. Espér locked the door again, and proceeded to lift all the shutters in the windows, aside from the one on the door.

"Aww...it's Chopin, _again_? Why can't you at least pretend to play something else? If it's going to be Chopin, I advise either the American Revolution, or Fantasia Impromptu. That is, if you can play it," Espér complained. The atmosphere changed in an instant, and she, for the first time in a long, very long time, opened up and relaxed.

"What do you mean, again? It's the first time you've heard me play."

"Or is it?"

"..."

"Don't you remember that party?"

"Which party?"

"The one when you saw the _princess_ with her single-man guard." Espér smiled. Gokudera held down his blush. _No way! Not _that _party!_

"Yup. It was that party. You've gone a little wild on that one, though. I think you ate too many cookies that day." Espérer chuckled.

"And plus, how did you get in?"

"Isn't it obvious? Mama and Papa were on the guest list."

"..."

"Oh. And your music is so boring... It's my turn, now."

Espérer sat on the edge of the piano seat, refusing to move unless the previous occupant leaves. And so he does.

"Now, I'm going to show you the real way to do it."

"Then, wha-" The simple melody caught his throat.

"It's my first song. Do you know who taught me?"

"W-who?"

"Your kaa-san."

"It's only Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star."

"Ah. How wrong you are."

And for the next ten minutes, he stood there, astounded. It was a beautiful piece, of hope, of wishes, of faith.

"What's it called?"

"Ah, Vous Dirai-je, Mamam. And, it's _not _Chopin."

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"Oh, and I thought you were mad at me."

"I was."

"Then?"

"Tch. I found time to tease you."

"You still piss me off."

"Gokudera, did you apologize?" Tsuna said, with Yamamoto, Ryohei, and Kyoko trailing along behind him.

"Not really, but _some-one_ needs to learn how to control his anger like me." Espérer smiled. She put up her outside personality again.

"Turns out, childhood friend. Can't help it," said Gokudera.

"Good Hayato. Everybody wants to know that you've had friends before, back in Italy." Espér smiled, and whacked Gokudera on the back.

"Payback," she said, before running off.

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Hey, readers!

Did you like my chapter??

Huh? Huh??

Review and tell me, right NOW!!

I lurves you all!!

XD


	5. Act 3: False Alarm

Hey.

This is the VERY first time I started a chapter without a Chyo!

XD

I'm so happy!

Oops.

All you're still here! Sorry, but HERE IS THE THRID CHAPTER OF OUR STORY!!

Oh.

And...

I know you're all happy, so, HERE YOU ALL GO!!

No wait...

(insert disclaimer) I don't own Katekyo or Kateikyoushi Hitman Reborn.

There.

Now, enjoy the show!!

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A Collection of flashbacks...

By the end of the second day of school, Espér could call Tsuna and his friends, at most, acquaintances. Aside from Gokudera, that is. They were childhood friends, back in the days Gokudera still romped around his father's mansion, and when they were children, living unscarred lives.

When Espér was four, her parents brought her to a party in a mansion. The eight-year old Gokudera saw Espér in the crowd, and she looked back. Gokudera visibly blushed, and Espér smiled. A few hours later, Gokudera had to play the piano for the guests. However, he ate a single cookie, and fainted in the middle of a piece. The entire hall erupted in laughter, but Espér walked up onto the stage, and continued playing for him. When Gokudera finally woke up, he was in bed and the party was over. You can probably say that was Gokudera's first crush. He then vowed himself to not make such a horrible mistake ever again.

In addition, there was Hibari Kyouya. No one knew, but Espér's best friend in those days was none other than Hibari. It was then when he learned to fight. To protect her, his princess.

They first met when their parents were in a meeting. Then, Espér was two, and Hibari eight. They both said their greetings and introductions, one in un-practiced Italian, and the other in Japanese. Then, Espér grinned, "Ki-yo-ya!! Hi-Hibaa-wi!!"

Hibari replied in fluent Japanese, "Come, Espérer. Pillow fight!" They had such a good time that they agreed to be friends for the next few years. They even learned a bit of each other's language over those next four years.

When she was six, one day she saw him fighting a sack of flour. Since he was without a weapon, he used fists and feet to fight the non-living opponent. He preferred to jab with his elbow, and punch with his hands, over kicking and jumping on. That was what Espérer noticed in his rough fighting style. For weeks, she worked on straw, yarn, and thread. She cut herself and bruised herself. Finally, on Hibari's 13th birthday, she gave him a pair of decorated straw tonfas, tied down neatly and trimmed to perfection. His very first pair. That week, when he went back to that sack of flour armed, and gave that bag a jab, it tore open, its precious flour pouring out onto the floor.

However, a year later, Hibari's cruel father declared to take Hibari with him to Australia. At the airport, Espér led them to the Japan flight, so Hibari would not end up in an unfamiliar country. Unknown to Espér until much later, not long after arriving at Japan, Hibari's father died. Hibari had no choice but to take control of the Disciplinary Committee and confiscate and/or take what ever he wanted just to live.

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As Gokudera neared his apartment and about to turn the corner, he froze when he heard something. A _bang._ When he peeked around the corner, he saw Espér lying at the feet of the railing, bleeding heavily. Standing over her body was a man in a suit, just putting away his smoking revolver. The mysterious man jumped the two stories down to the ground, and ran in the direction of Namimori. Possibly even Tsuna's house.

_'Ever since a month and a half ago, someone has been taking down all the mafia families one by one. No one knew who it was. He was only known as "Kuro". It has been confirmed that his next target was the Tenth, and along with him, all the remaining the mafia in Japan.'_

"Oh, --._"_

Gokudera, mind thinking rapidly, took Espér along with him on his short sprint to Yamamoto's sushi shop. Luckily, that was where Tsuna and everyone else in the Sawada residence stayed for the time being.

"Juudaime! There's an assassin coming! Juudaime!!"

"Eehhh?! Gokudera-kun?"

"Maybe he could join the boxing club, TO THE EXTREME!!"

"It might be that 'Kuro'," said Reborn. He opened the door, and had the Guardians file out to see the assassin.

"Dino's description doesn't match."

"Eehhh?! So this is another one?!"

"Ah! Juudaime! I'm here now!! Oh, and Espér. She's. Hit."

"Is she okay, though?"

"Nobody needs your comments, baseball frea-!" Gokudera stopped when he heard Reborn.

"Oi! Bianchi! Come out!" shouted Reborn. She came out as commanded. Gokudera immediately collapsed, clutching his stomach.

"Yes, Reborn?"

"Espér's shot. I need you to get her to the hospital. If it's Dr. Shamal, then keep a watch on her."

"'Kay. I'll come back for you, Reborn." Bianchi took Espér and took off. Right when she was out of sight, Gokudera shakily got up.

"Gokudera-kun, are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Juudaime."

"Well, what about that assassin?" asked Yamamoto.

"I'll beat him up TO THE EXTREME!!" shouted Ryohei, before Gokudera could reply.

"Right. I'll let you guys take care of him. I'll be inside for some otooro."

"Ahh! Reborn!"

"Don't worry about him, Juudaime! I'll take care of that killer!"

"Hey, I haven't done any good training for a long time, TO THE EXTREME!!"

"I'd like to have some fun, too, Tsuna!"

"Don't get too friendly to Juudaime, baseball freak!"

Tsuna sweat dropped. _Fighting over fighting? Is there even such thing?_

Author's Note:

I skipped the battles over fighting against the assassin and actually fighting against the assassin, since they were a bit too messy and too confusing to write. I deeply apologize.

However, I will tell you that by the end of the battles, the area was blown up and chopped up so well, that it looked like it was bombarded by millions of meteorites. Smoke and fire dotted the battlefield, and the mysterious person with the revolver ran out of rounds in the middle of the mess. He now thrashes around in bonds of rope.

What is certain about the battle is that Hibari arrived at the scene and proceeded to punish everyone. The penalty was for crowding around and destroying the property of Namimori. In addition, that most of the damage was dealt after Hibari came.

What really happened, I'll leave to it to you to find out.

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Back at the hospital, Dr. Shamal told everyone that Espér didn't suffer much, and that she would be out of the hospital very soon. Hibari, for some reason, came, and said, "If she's awake, then I need to interrogate her about the trouble that she might bring at school in the future. No interrupting or I'll bite all of you to death."

Author's Note: Well, a lot can happen in a day. These few chapters, chapters 1-3, are all in one day. Weird.

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Espér POV

Two in the Morning...

I woke up in a room smelling of medicine. The first thought in my head was, _What happened?_

"Espér, you're in the hospital."

_Why?_

"You've been shot."

_Well, then I'm perfectly alright._

"You should stay here for a few days."

_No, I'm perfectly alright. Why do I have to stay in this friggin' room in the first place?_

"It's alright."

_Anyways, the bullet went through me._

"The doctor said you're fine."

_The lead won't affect me. Obviously, I'm fine._

"It's two in the morning, Espérer."

_What?! No way! Didn't I pass out in the afternoon? Good thing I finished homework already, though._

"Gokudera saved you."

_No way! Not him? Oh, no wonder. Isn't he my neighbor? Well, good job, then._

"I got your bag for you."

_Oh, wait. Who's this talking? Is it Hibari? He must know I'm awake, then._

I sat up and told Hibari, "I need to go, Kyou-nii. Now."

"No, you're still injured, Espér."

"I'm going." Nevertheless, Hibari stood up and blocked my way.

"You have to stay here. You're injured."

"No. I'm not going to miss school because of a little cut like this one."

"But it almost killed you."

"The bullet is gone, and this situation would be very different if the bullet were still stuck inside. Please. Let me through." Hibari sighed. He knew that this would lead nowhere at all. I could overpower him easily even in this condition.

"Very well."

"Thank you, Kyou-nii." I smiled and took my bag.

"If there are any problems in school, I'll tell you. Okay?" I added, hoping to lighten Kyouya-nii a bit. He nodded.

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Espér POV cont.

The Next Day...

I walked to school with the black jacket half-buttoned up, hoping the bloodstain won't be seen. Still, classmates came to me and asked if I was okay. I merely shrugged them off. Tsuna and his friends found me on their way to school, even if I tried to be as insignificant as possible.

"Hey, are you alright? And aren't you supposed to be at the hospital?" Tsuna asked. I smiled and replied, "I didn't need to be held captive in that room. I'm perfectly fine."

"Well, you're still a little pale," added Gokudera.

"You know, I really think you should sit out P.E." Yamamoto looked concerned, too.

"No, I'm fine. No need to worry," I assured them, "Oh and why do you two look so beat up? What did you do yesterday?"

"Well," started Yamamoto, who scratched his head a little, "It's the game we're playing."

Tsuna and Gokudera sweat dropped, but I said, "Hey, can I join? And plus, what type of game is it?"

"We do a lot of crazy and fun stuff, right, Gokudera, Tsuna?"

"Ah...well...erm...uh...y-yeah."

"Eh..."

"Why don't I tell you about it during lunch?"

"Sure thing."

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Espér POV cont.

After school...

"Well, that's a cool game, Takeshi." I smiled.

"Thanks." He scratched his head once again. Tsuna and Gokudera were still sulking in the back.

"What's up with you two?"

"Nothing," they said simultaneously.

"Whatever. I'll be going, now. Bye!"

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That night, Gokudera walked out to his balcony to smoke. A slip of paper floated out of nowhere and down onto his balcony's railing.

_Gokudera Hayato. Among our trees, Night of the full moon. Midnight. Either be there or be bitten to death._

At the same time, Yamamoto opened the front door to deliver some sushi, and a slip of paper drifted into his sight.

_Yamamoto Takeshi. Among our own trees, Night of the full moon. Midnight. Either be there or be bitten to death._

Ryohei just opened the front door to his house right after finishing his boxing training. A slip of paper blew in and slapped itself onto his face. Ryohei took it off and read it.

_Sasagawa Ryohei. Among our own trees, Night of the full moon. Midnight. Either be there or be bitten to death._

Mukuro and Chrome looked around their bleak home. Chrome found a small slip of paper in a forgotten corner. However, Mukuro said nothing.

_Rokudo Mukuro and Chrome Nagi Dokuro. Nami-chuu, Night of the full moon. Midnight. Be there._

Hibari looked up at the sky, and found a slip of paper.

_Hibari Kyouya. Where you love to be, Night of the full moon. Midnight. Be there._

Tsuna just came back from Reborn's intensive training. On the doorstep, he saw a note.

_Sawada Tsunayoshi. Among our own trees, Night of the full moon. Midnight. Either be there or be bitten to death._

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Here ends Chapter 3!

XD

Review and give me ideas, or tell me how much you like it.

They will be helpful to me and would also be helpful to you!

XD

I lurves you!

Also: I will be gone for quite a few days, so I trust you to REVIEW!


	6. Act 4: A Visiting, A Clue

Hey!

This is the SECOND time I started a fanfic without chyo!

XD

(dancing)

And here I have the fourth chapter of the story...

Tsuna: Ah! Finally, I can see something!

Hey, how'd you get here?

Tsuna: From a closet.

x Darn, the lock broke x

Hibari: I'll bite whoever locked us in the closet to death. Is it you, herbivore?

Tsuna: Hii! N-n-no. It's that person over there!

Hibari: I'll need to bite you to death, whoever you are.

Well, I have a name, Hibari!

Hibari: I don't care.

(catfight commences)

Tsuna: Well, since they're busy beating each other up, I-

(Hibari dragged Tsuna into the catfight)

Gokudera: Wahh! Juudaime! Let me help!

(Gokudera whips out his dynamite)

Tsuna: Ahh! No, Gokudera-kun!

_BOOM._

Yamamoto: Well, it seems that the closet is thunder-proof, soundproof, fireproof, waterproof, foolproof, and idiot-proof.

Gokudera: YOU'RE THE IDIOT, BASEBALL IDIOT.

Yamamoto: Ah, well. Our Koori here does not own the show, Katekyo or Kateikyoushi Hitman Reborn or us!

Gokudera: You piss me off.

(Gokudera drags Yamamoto into catfight)

Well, that was fun.

_Kufufufu..._

Oh great. Here comes the pineapple king.

Mukuro: MUAHAHAHAHAHA!! YES, I AM THE PINEAPPLE KING!! BUT WHY DIDN'T YOU CAPITALIZE IT?

(Mukuro turns to the fifth path: Path of Humans)

Oh no! I'm very sorry... I'll change it...

(Scratches off above)

(Replaced with:

YAY!! HERE COMES THE ALMIGHTY PINEAPPLE KING!! ALL HAIL AND LONG LIVE THE PINEAPPLE KING!!)

Mukuro: Now that's more like it.

_Kufufufu..._

Okay, now EVERYONE PLEASE GET ON TO READING THE ACTUAL STORY!!

AND DO NOT MIND US, THE PEOPLE OF THE CLOSET!!

Hibari: What did you just say??

Um... Nothing, sir.

Hibari: Good. Well, I think we need to get on to beating each other now.

Mukuro: You're on!

Gokudera: I'll need some more dynamite...

Yamamoto: Who wants to play baseball?

I hereby declare this place a battlefield, then.

x Oh dear, that was a very horrible mistake x

AAHHHHHH!!

x All I need is some chocolate, and I'm okay. R-right? x

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The next day, Espér asked Tsuna a question on her way to school.

"You know the park? It's so pretty... Do you know how it's maintained? I mean no one owns the property."

"We pay taxes, and the local political people use that money to take care of it."

"So, basically, the park is yours and the whole neighborhoods'?"

"Yeah. That's it."

"Ohh. Nice. Oh, and what's up with Takeshi and Hayato? They're yelling on the way to school."

"Um... They always do that."

"Oh... Interesting."

That day, she didn't eat lunch with them. In fact, she was totally gone for the whole lunch period. Gokudera, who did not care about skipping lunch, even went out to look for her. However, they did not think of looking in the schools of the next city.

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Mukuro sleeping, Chrome working hard on her homework, Ken chewing bubble gum, and Chikusa learning new yoyo tricks. That was the typical lunchtime. Until a white ball of fluff crashed into their window. Chrome rushed to that window and slid the panel open, then taking the chick in her hands, cradling it. She closed the open window and set the young bird on the couch's armrest.

"Hey, what's that?" Ken asked absentmindedly.

"A baby bird crashed into our window."

"Then it's either blind, dumb, or dead already."

"Don't be harsh, Ken."

"Well, what do you know, kaki-pi?"

_Kufufufu..._

_You're not getting it at all. This child is an acquaintance of mine._

_You shouldn't mess around with her. She fights fairly well for her age. Ken, Chikusa. Be courteous to the child. Chrome. There is no need for you to be so stiff._

The ball of fluff chirped. It chirped once again.

_What about the Bovino family's ten-year bazooka?_

The bird looked at Chrome with its fire eyes. Mukuro was silent.

_Okay, very well, Kuro-sama._

The bird chirped one last time, and opened its fuzzy wings.

_I'll see you again, child. Have a safe trip home. Chrome, open the window._

Chrome did as she was told, and the bird flew out into the endless sky, back to Namimori.

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"Where've you been, Espér?!"

Espérer jumped at the sudden question. She sat in her seat as if all was well, but glared at Tsuna.

"Well, you don't have to know exactly where I've been. I am a girl. If I'm tied down by a boy, then it either means that he's gone crazy about me, or that I need to dump him out on the road. No boy goes about worrying about a girl unless they're on reasonably close relations. Between you and all your friends, that is not the case. And plus, why in the world are you worried?"

"Well, um..."

"Well, SPEAK UP!!"

"..."

"Even if you have trouble in public speaking, you shouldn't have problems with plain talking, Tsuna."

Tsuna thought, _She doesn't know about that killer. If he were going to kill me, then he'd surely kill everyone around me, too._

"Well, if you forgot, class is starting very soon. Either speak up _or not speak at all_."

"Hii!" Tsuna thought, _Espér could be scary at times... But then again, wasn't she always smiling and friendly? What happened?_

The teacher walked in.

_Oh yeah... That slip of paper..._

_What does it mean? What does it want us to do?_

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Flashback...

Lunchtime on the Roof...

"Hey, Juudaime! Let's eat on the rooftop!"

"Tsuna! You want to eat together?"

"Don't be too friendly to Juudaime, baseball freak."

"Well, let's take a look at what you're doing."

"I'm his right-hand man, and I'm supposed to protect him from harm."

"You're not the only one doing that already. The little kid does that all the time, even though there are some parts..."

"You piss me off, baseball freak."

"Maa, maa. There's no need to get angry all the time from the same conversation."

"Are you calling me _simple? _Look at you!"

"Ehehe... Well..."

"Gokudera-kun, can you please calm down?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, Juudaime! Sorry..."

"You know, yesterday, I found this piece of paper. Do you know who wrote it, Tsuna?" Yamamoto showed him the slip of paper.

_Yamamoto Takeshi. Among our trees, Night of the full moon. Midnight. Either be there or be bitten to death._

"Well, I found one like that yesterday, too." He showed his friends.

_Sawada Tsunayoshi. Among our own trees, Night of the full moon. Midnight. Either be there or be bitten to death._

"That's interesting. Do you know who wrote these, Gokudera?"

"No."

"HAHAHAHAHA, TO THE EXTREME!!"

"Lawn head's here now. Great."

"Hey, Sawada. Great prank. Got me real good, TO THE EXTREME!!"

"W-what prank?"

"Well, of course, the threats, and everything. I totally fell for it, TO THE EXTREME!!" Ryohei showed them the paper.

_Sasagawa Ryohei. Among our own trees, Night of the full moon. Midnight. Either be there or be bitten to death._

"Eehhh?! Onii-san got one, too?!"

"Well, the thing is, we all got one, too. Except Gokudera." Yamamoto looked at Gokudera.

"Shut up, baseball freak."

"_Do you_ have one, too, Gokudera-kun?"

Gokudera sighed, unable to lie to his Juudaime. He reached into his pocket, and pulled out a very crumpled piece of paper. He opened it up, and showed them.

_Gokudera Hayato. Among our trees, Night of the full moon. Midnight. Either be there or be bitten to death._

However, writing covered the paper, making it hard to read. They seemed like notes, but Tsuna, Yamamoto, and Ryohei can't read it.

"Italian," he mumbled. Gokudera pointed at the labeled sections. Section 1 was his name. The second was the words, '_Among our trees',_ and the third, '_Night of the full moon.' _The fourth was '_Midnight.' _The last was, of course, the part where the reader is threatened to go.

"Section 1, Name. Section 2, place. Section 3, date. Section 4, time. Section 5, threat." The four studied each of their own and each other's. Each had the labeled sections.

"Since it says, '_or be bitten to death', _it's likely Hibari wrote it," said Ryohei. Tsuna prayed that it was not that killer's note.

"What if it isn't?" retorted Gokudera. His 'right-hand man' just shattered Tsuna's single hope of this whole thing being a joke.

"Nee... I'm hungry. Let's eat."

Yamamoto's cheerful attitude started failing, so Yamamoto changed the subject. You cannot discuss food without being happy. Therefore, if you discuss food, you're happy and good to go.

"Hey, where's Espérer?" asked Tsuna.

"I don't know, TO THE EXTREME!!"

"Maybe she's in the bathroom."

"That --ing girl, running off. I'll find her for you, Juudaime!"

"W-wait, Gokudera-kun! You don't have to!"

Too late.

He was gone.

End Flashback...

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After school...

"If you guys want to know, which I know you do, I'll be going," Espér said harshly.

"When did she become like that?" asked Yamamoto.

"When she came back."

"Ciaossu!"

"R-Reborn! What're you doing here?"

"Let me see the note, Tsuna." He grabbed it out of Tsuna's pocket and read it.

"This isn't Hibari's. It is a little bit unusual, I must say. We're going."

"Eehhh?! But Reborn-"

"Its tonight, so finish your homework quickly. No dinner until you've finished."

"Eehhh?!"

"Don't worry, Juudaime! I'll come over to help you."

"Me, too!"

"There's no need for you to go, baseball freak! You don't even know enough to help Tsuna, either!"

"But if we all work together, we'll finish faster, and I can eat dinner!"

"Fine, you can come, baseball freak... For Juudaime..."

However, nobody noticed Reborn's well-hidden anxiety, wondering what Kuro wants on this day only.

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That Night at Tsuna's house...

After feverishly working on his homework and finally eating his dinner, the three guardians were patiently waiting for midnight to arrive.

"Wahh... It's so dark outside..."

"Yeah, TO THE EXTREME!!" A figure was standing outside, in the front yard.

"Onii-san?! You came, too?"

"Yeah!"

"Come in, then! I don't want you cold."

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Upstairs...

Gokudera sat at the low table, staring at the slips of paper. He looked up when Tsuna brought Ryohei in.

"Hey, do you guys know where to meet?"

"Ah... um... No," answered Ryohei, "Where's Yamamoto?"

"Downstairs," gloomily answered Gokudera.

"So, do you have any ideas where the place is, Gokudera-kun?"

"No, Juudaime. I'm sorry. I can't figure it out."

"Well, then let's all figure it out."

"I'm in, TO THE EXTREME!!"

"The only clue we have is '_Among our own trees'._ So, how in the world do we find out where it is?" Gokudera sighed.

"Well, it might be in a forest or something."

"Juudaime's right, but which?"

"I don't know, TO THE EXTREME!!"

"Ehh..." Tsuna thought, and he thought. _Why did this person give just that little clue for meeting him? Is there another hidden clue somewhere else?_

"Well, whatever the place is, I think Juudaime gets to choose."

"I completely agree, octopus-head!"

"Don't you dare call me octopus-head, LAWN HEAD!!" Tsuna's hands jumped to his ears.

"Well, I THINK THAT YOU SHOULD JOIN THE BOXING CLUB, **OCTOPUS HEAD**!!"

"Grr... I'LL BOMB YOU TO PIECES!!"

"Ah! Gokudera-kun, please don't!" shouted Tsuna, dropping his hands to his side. Gokudera put his dynamite away, but still clenched his teeth.

"Okay...for Juudaime." The two Guardians in the room acknowledged that Tsuna was, for one of the first times in his life, thinking extremely hard.

Silence took over the room. Silence so thick, you could imagine it was the humidity. Ryohei, sitting at Tsuna's left, did not move one bit. Gokudera sat at Tsuna's right, since he was Juudaime's (self-proclaimed, he sourly thought to himself) right-hand man. He did not move either, for he was thinking about the puzzle.

However, without the code, one cannot open the safe. Unknown to all, Tsuna held that code, lost in his memories.

Ryohei and Gokudera stole a look at the ticking clock.

11:42 pm

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Hey, folks! I hope you liked that chapter!

XD

Review and TELL ME HOW MUCH YOU LIKED IT, **NOW**!!

_BOOM._

_BOOM._

_BOOM._

Oh! And look at Storm Guardian Gokudera Hayato's Triple Rocket Bomb! Very accurate aim and timing!

_Tching!_

Rain Guardian Yamamoto Takeshi is fighting him and Hibari with his superior Shigure Shouen Style, and look at Cloud Guardian Hibari Kyouya fending off both Yamamoto and Mukuro at the same time with his trusty tonfas!

_Tch-tching!_

_Whoosh!_

You can see Mist Guardian Rokudo Mukuro fighting all three with both his physical capabilities with his trident and his illusionary powers. Amazing!

_Ck-katchi! Ck-katchi!_

Up comes Vongola Boss, Holder of the Sky Ring, Sawada Tsunayoshi, using the ancient Vongola technique, Zero Point Breakthrough First Edition. You can see that the spreading ice is stopping the conflict.

_Silence..._

Now, all five people are heading towards the station!

I hereby end this broadcast for today and ensure you that I will not be hurt and by next time, all Vongola that escaped the closet will _stay_ in the closet.

'Til next ti-

Hibari: I'll bite you to death for turning us into a sports channel.

Mukuro: Fear the power of the PINEAPPLE!!

Gokudera: You're dead, Koori!!

Yamamoto: I want to sign up for this narration, too!

Tsuna: ...

_Whoosh!_

x Static x

Zt zt zt zt zzt...

(Note: I managed to squeese this chapter in before I go. lol enjoy and REVIEW!!)


	7. Act 5: Dream, and Test

Good day to you all, folks!

XD

All of the people are safely locked in the closet, and it's already noted to be thunder-proof, soundproof, fireproof, waterproof, foolproof, and idiot-proof.

(I don't own the people locked in the closet, and the rest of Katekyo/Kateikyoushi Hitman Reborn. However, I have complete control over Espérer.)

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From the three sitting in Tsuna's room, looking worriedly at the ticking clock, all except Tsuna jumped when Yamamoto joined them.

"What're you doing here, baseball-freak?!"

"Ssshhhhh..." Ryohei silenced them. He pointed at Tsuna, whose arms were folded on the low table, face on top. His eyes looked droopy, even though he was trying to think. Ryohei took both of the other Guardians outside his room and shut the door for Tsuna to think, or rather, sleep, in peace.

"Hey, so do you have a single clue about the place, Yamamoto?" asked Ryohei. The teen in question shook his head.

"Well, why were you downstairs, baseball-freak?! Shouldn't you have been in Juudaime's room with us to help us think?!" Gokudera fiercely whispered.

"I've been downstairs, keeping the others from interrupting you," glared Yamamoto, "You should be glad. Lambo would've come in long ago and you'd be beating him up as recklessly as before." The other two knew by now that Yamamoto had accepted the fact that this was serious. Therefore, he started laughing less, and seemed to save laughing until everything was over.

Before Gokudera thought up a retort, they heard a scream from Tsuna's room. Gokudera slammed open the door, and said:

"Juudaime! What happened?!"

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Tsuna sat there, his eyes betraying his will. _I can't sleep. I can't sleep. Can't sleep... _He felt Gokudera and Ryohei leave and shut the door behind them. Then all turned black.

"You know the park? It's so pretty... Do you know how it's maintained? I mean no one owns the property."

"We pay taxes, and the local political people use that money to take care of it."

"So, basically, the park is yours and the whole neighborhoods'?"

"Yeah. That's it."

"Ohh. Nice. Oh, and what's up with Takeshi and Hayato? They're yelling on the way to school."

"Um... They always do that."

"Oh... Interesting."

He heard voices, which he recognized as Espérer's and his. However, they were gone before Tsuna could find out what they meant.

He woke standing in a forest. A dark one, with a full moon shining through the thick branches. He looked down, his intuition screaming at him not to. His guardians, lying on the grass, knocked out and heavily injured. Gokudera unmoving, bleeding in several places at once, Yamamoto in his back, with his Shigure Kintoki shattered. Ryohei clutching his right arm, twitching every so often, Lambo completely gone. Mukuro, lying against a tree, his weapon shattered, and Hibari, covered in scratches and cuts, his tonfas heavily dented, and hit with multiple bruises. In the clearing, only three figures remained standing. One was Reborn, merely watching. The other was another Arcobaleno; however, that one was covered from view in a dark cape and hood. The last one was he, himself, merely standing at all. The Tsuna stood in the middle of the clearing in Hyper Dying Will. He had a bleeding, no, raining stomach, millions of cuts, slits, scratches, and bruises, trembling shoulders, and hardly any Sky flame left. He finally fell, his body refusing to push itself any more.

"Since it was you who came last, it's about time for you to arrange regroup and admittance, Meadow's Guardian."

Everything turned black again, and once again he woke, but to something else.

"Juudaime! What happened?!" Tsuna blinked, and blinked again. He looked at the Guardians' worried faces staring down at him. He was covered in cold sweat and panting very hard. Tsuna sat up with wide eyes. He looked around his room, and then at his friends. They were not hurt, and instead, perfectly alright. He pulled all of them into a tight hug. When he let go, the three Guardians has confused looks on their faces.

"I'm fine. Just happy that the dream wasn't real," smiled Tsuna. He did not want his friends worrying over a little thing such as a dream. However, it was more like a nightmare. A short one, but nonetheless, a nightmare.

"A-are you alright, Tsuna?" asked Yamamoto. Tsuna was quiet, for he thought about other things, too.

The last thing he remembered seeing in the 'dream' was a small sakura blossom and a bench. A park bench. And then it hit him.

"The Nami-chuu Park. Where the sakura bloom. That's where we go." The three Guardians were stupefied. _The park?_

"...the park?" Gokudera hesitantly asked. He took out the slips for Tsuna to explain.

"Here. It says _'Among our trees' _on Gokudera's, but on Onii-san's, Yamamoto's and mine, it says _'Among our own trees'._ So that means that it started in Japan, and it's still in Japan," said Tsuna, who looked the clock and quickly added, "Just remind me to thank Espér later." Gokudera, Yamamoto, and Ryohei followed Tsuna's glance and saw the clock.

It declared that it was currently 11:56.

The four dashed down the stairs, grabbing each of their weapons, and Tsuna tripping where he usually tripped. He called out to his mom before being dragged outside, "I need to go out for something, Mom! Bye!"

"That Dame-Tsuna. Actually thought he'd leave me behind," grumbled Reborn. But he smiled, and hopped out of his hammock.

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The three raced to the park, until they heard a soft, distinct voice coming from a waiting figure.

"I'll bite you to death for coming to school grounds at night, _uninvited and late_." The four raised their eyebrows. _Uninvited? Late? Does it mean he got it, too? _They showed Hibari their slips. He narrowed his eyes.

"Then let's go." He whipped around and strolled into the forest. Tsuna suddenly became nervous. _What if the nightmare- no, it's only a nightmare. It's not like it's really going to happen. _Tsuna knew that it seemed ridiculous for a dream to suddenly, unexpectedly come true. However, he had a bad feeling about this.

"Dame-Tsuna, you finally forgot about me. Don't be too reckless about this without me. Who knows, you'll end up doing something dangerous." Tsuna thought, _Reborn, I'm _always_ doing dangerous stuff with you!_

"Ciaossu!" greeted Reborn. For once, though, he did not wear a smile in his entrance. "Looks like everyone's here."

Tsuna looked around, but saw no one new. And then he realized who it was.

_Kufufufu..._

_Seems like Kuro-sama's coming._

Mukuro appeared before them, however without Chrome, Ken, or Chikusa. He smiled.

"Well, Tsunayoshi. I'll be able to take over your body when I'm finished." Those words sent chills down Tsuna's spine, since he knew, if the dream really, truly _did not _come true, Mukuro's goal will be met tonight. Either way, if the nightmare _were _real, Kuro would knock him around like a toy. Either way, he loses.

His thoughts were interrupted by another voice, faintly familiar, yet he had never heard it in his life. A girl's voice.

"Well, since all of you are here, I've decided to test you before I try you myself. I made it easy, so relax and have some fun!" At that, the Vongola Decimo and his Family watched as the forest rapidly grew. And they all fell through the air to the ground.

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Tsuna, quickly calculating the drop to be fatal, he swallowed a Rebuke pill from his pill box and spread his flames around him, cushioning his fall. He was too far from being able to see the others, but he found that he landed in a gigantic zoo. What was weird were the enormous blades of grass that loomed over the edges of it. Tsuna set off to explore and find out what was to be tested. Then, he found that a stampede of animals was heading his way, scaring the visitors and the zookeepers away.

One more detail: there were six animals in total, and those six animals I have listed here: a swallow, a snow leopard, a Mountain goat, a male lion, an owl, and the lone hedgehog trailing behind.

Author's Note: See the resemblance?? XD However, Ryohei didn't find a lion box, so he settled with the kangaroo one, and no longer thought it necessary to get a lion. The zookeepers at the local zoo didn't allow him to store a lion in a blank box, anyways.

Tsuna readied himself to face the stampede and win.

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Gokudera saw how far he was going to fall, but luckily fell on top of a circus tent. It ripped and sent him tumbling down to the ground. He groaned in pain, but found a group of animals surrounding him. He got up, and a lion lunged at him.

Gokudera looked at the swallow, snow leopard, Mountain goat, male lion, owl, and hedgehog. He smirked. _So the test is composed of zoo animals? _The swallow, mountain goat, and owl rushed forward, while the rest stayed behind. _This is going to be a lot easier than I thought it would be._

However, he thought wrong.

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Yamamoto fell from the air and into a cage. _Unusual... a soft landing...? _He got up and found himself on a lion. He quickly jumped off onto a safe, flat location. Once again, he looked around. There were now six animals circling him.

Guess what they are.

Three of them, the Mountain goat, owl, and lion moved forward. Yamamoto readied his sword. _So this is the test, is it?_

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Ryohei fell face-first into a deep pool. It seemed that the exhibit was out of order, so he quickly got out and wandered around. The crowd suddenly parted, since there was a 'runaway' lion. The boxer had an EXTREME!! idea to fight the lion, so he followed it to a large cage. Inside, there were the six animals once again, and the hedgehog, snow leopard, and swallow approached Ryohei.

Ryohei lifted his fists. _So this is what that voice meant. I LIKE IT, TO THE EXTREME!!_

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Hibari landed cold-bloodedly landed on a visitor who was caught smuggling a few of the zoo's frogs. Everyone around him backed away, seeing the President of the Disciplinary Committee eyeing everyone around him.

"I'll bite you to death if you don't disperse in 10 seconds." Within three, the whole crowd entirely disappeared. No one wanted to take any chances. However, the remaining group he saw was a group of six. Six zoo animals. However, only three stepped up. The snow leopard, swallow, and Mountain goat.

Hibari narrowed his eyes, raised his tonfas, and attacked.

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A certain pineapple fell from the sky and, like Hibari, landed on a person. He didn't care one bit, since the whole place was an illusion, though a very good one. He decided to enjoy what Kuro-sama gave him, so we went to a lollipop/chocolate banana stand and stole all of its contents. _Ooh, they're really good. _While munching on his 13th banana and licking his 12th lollipop, he saw six zoo animals scaring away the zoo's people. Three of them, the lion, the hedgehog, and the snow leopard stepped up. Mukuro got the message.

He threw away the half-eaten lollipop and chocolate banana and took his trident in his hands. _Oh well, at least the food here was good._

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I hope you people liked this chapter.

XD

I'll be back in a bit!

People Locked in the Closet: HEY!! LET US OUT!!


	8. Act 6: Regroup, Enter Kuro

Hey everyone!!

XD

I'm here, writing from wherever I've been abducted to!!

Lo... I'VE BEEN ABDUCTED?!

People of the Closet: WHY IN THE WORLD ARE WE CALLED THE PEOPLE OF THE CLOSET?! REALLY, THAT'S GOING TOO FAR!!

Thing is, you can't get out. I've invented a new lock, and I only allowed Espér to go in and out. Hehehe...

Espérer: AND I WON'T TELL YOU HOW TO GET OUT!! MUAHAHAHAHAHA!!

BTW: I don't own any Kateikyoushi / Katekyo Hitman Reborn here. If I did, then I'd add Espér here to the story!!

XD

Espér: w00t!

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Tsuna stood there, wearing a victory grin, though he was covered in injuries. The six animals that fought him disappeared. Tsuna heard the voice from before, which said, "Well, Vongola. Well done completing the test. Of course you passed, since it was set to easy."

Tsuna scoffed. Easy? He got several bruises, a few cuts, and probably quite a few broken bones. The circus scenery disappeared, and was replaced with forest; however, not a single person was there. Not one. Even Reborn wasn't there.

"Well, since you guys really believed that you turned small, you fought so much that you all separated. I give you a mere illusion, and you all believe it. Gullible. Only the Cloud and the Mist stayed in place. I ask of you to regroup, so I can meet all of you in the same place. Hurry, before the Cloud and the Mist start sparring. Cloud, Mist, no sparring, _else you are going to face the consequences_."

Tsuna saw a clay tuna in the grass. He picked it up, and saw that it was the good-luck charm Kyoko gave him. He raised his head, and saw another ahead. _A trail? Maybe it's a trail to regroup. Well, it's better than nothing. Heh._

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Gokudera threw his cigarette to the ground and stamped on it. He looked on, as all six creatures lay in the dirt. He narrowly escaped a claw in the neck, but he still had a few cuts and slits. He hoped Juudaime would be proud. He smiled at the thought.

"Well, Vongola. Well done completing the test. Of course you passed, since it was set to easy." Gokudera narrowed his eyes. They weren't very 'easy' to him. He just hoped that Juudaime would still be glad he escaped death there. The tent disappeared, and in its place appeared a forest. However, nobody was there. Juudaime was nowhere in sight. Gokudera balled up a fist.

"Well, since you guys really believed that you turned small, you fought so much that you all separated. I give you a mere illusion, and you all believe it. Gullible. Only the Cloud and the Mist stayed in place. I ask of you to regroup, so I can meet all of you in the same place. Hurry, before the Cloud and the Mist start sparring. Cloud, Mist, no sparring, _else you are going to face the consequences_."

Gokudera could almost feel the voice's owner smile. _She pisses me off. Well, I have to find Juudaime. As his right-hand man, Juudaime is always first priority! _He set off, following his 'Juudaime locator' senses.

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Yamamoto wiped his blade in the grass, leaving a trail of midday dew. The creatures had long ago ran away into the now existing woods.

"Well, Vongola. Well done completing the test. Of course you passed, since it was set to easy." Yamamoto grinned. Although he had a few scratches, he was fine. All he had to worry about was where everyone was. He got over having to defeat the creatures and drawing blood. In fact, he didn't even cut his opponents.

"Well, since you guys really believed that you turned small, you fought so much that you all separated. I give you a mere illusion, and you all believe it. Gullible. Only the Cloud and the Mist stayed in place. I ask of you to regroup, so I can meet all of you in the same place. Hurry, before the Cloud and the Mist start sparring. Cloud, Mist, no sparring, _else you are going to face the consequences."_

Yamamoto looked around the dark forest. _Well, it can't be that bad. I don't remember moving very much. Hibari and Mukuro should be close around. _And with that, he headed towards the loudest source of noise.

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Ryohei smiled. "Yoshi! I won! However, WHY CAN'T YOU GUYS BE MORE EXTREME??" He frowned, and continued lecturing the unconscious 'un-extreme' animals. Then there was a voice, stopping Ryohei's highly educated speech.

"Well, Vongola. Well done completing the test. Of course you passed, since it was set to easy." Ryohei smirked. _No wonder they didn't do much. Hardly a scratch, and I'm done. _The circus scenery changed into a thick cluster of trees. However, there was nothing stirring. Just dead silence.

"Well, since you guys really believed you turned small, you fought so much that you all separated. I give you a mere illusion, and you all believe it. Gullible. Only the Cloud and the Mist stayed in place. I ask of you to regroup, so I can meet all of you in the same place. Hurry, before the Cloud and the Mist start sparring. Cloud, Mist, no sparring, _else you are going to face the consequences."_

Ryohei frowned. "WHY CAN'T YOU PUT THEM ON HARD?! I NEED EXTREMENESS!!" He continued ranting and mumbling.

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Hibari Kyouya had immediately known that the test was the whole illusion. Yes, he also immediately knew that it was an illusion. Now, he rubbed his clothes on his tonfas, wiping away the blood upon the metal. He looked around, making sure there weren't any more crowds around. He let a satisfactory smile creep up to his lips.

"Well, Vongola. Well done completing the test. Of course you passed, since it was set to easy." Hibari's smile immediately disappeared. _Easy?_ _**Easy?** How dare this person, this Kuro, mock him._ He narrowed his eyes, twitching. The circus melted into the forest, introducing a person he recognized and detested into his scenery. Mukuro.

"Well, since you guys really believed you turned small, you fought so much that you all separated. I give you a mere illusion, and you all believe it. Gullible. Only the Cloud-" the voice was ignored.

"What are you doing here, Mukuro?" demanded Hibari.

"-and the Mist stayed in place.-" Once again, the voice was ignored.

"What are _you _doing here, Hibari?" countered Mukuro.

"I ask of you to regroup, so I can meet-"

"I'll bite you to death." Hibari brandished his tonfas.

"-all of you in the same place. Hurry,-"

"Ah, you're going to a trip to Hell." Mukuro readied his trident.

"-before the Cloud-"

"Grr..."

"-and the Mist start sparring."

"Grr..."

"Cloud, Mist, **no sparring**, _else you are going to face the consequences." _The two froze at that sentence. They glared at each other, but lowered their weapons. Mukuro knew better than most to never disobey Kuro, since he nearly had his life sent to endless, inescapable, torturous Hell. Hibari came in second, but he also knew that arguing with the voice was another way of begging for one's death.

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Rokudo Mukuro had no way of countering this illusion with his, but, if he treats it like an alternate space, he could whip up a few illusions of his own, or even whirl around his eye. That way, he finally completed the test, grabbed a few chocolate bananas and lollipops, and listened in to the announcement.

"Well, Vongola. Well done completing the test. Of course you passed, since it was set to easy." Mukuro knew that, since he's been through quite a few life-threatening 'tests' set to medium-easy. Note, it was medium-easy, not easy-medium. However, he was still happy he passed easy so quickly. Maybe it was set to easy that would also cover for the other poor Vongola. The illusion disappeared, revealing Mukuro's rival, Hibari, standing right next to him.

"Well, since you guys really believed you turned small, you fought so much that you all separated. I give you a mere illusion, and you all believe it. Gullible. Only the Cloud-" the voice was ignored.

"What are you doing here, Mukuro?" demanded Hibari.

"-and the Mist stayed in place.-" Once again, the voice was ignored.

"What are _you _doing here, Hibari?" countered Mukuro.

"I ask of you to regroup, so I can meet-"

"I'll bite you to death." Hibari brandished his tonfas.

"-all of you in the same place. Hurry,-"

"Ah, you're going to a trip to Hell." Mukuro readied his trident.

"-before the Cloud-"

"Grr..."

"-and the Mist start sparring."

"Grr..."

"Cloud, Mist, **no sparring**, _else you are going to face the consequences." _The two froze at that sentence. They glared at each other, but lowered their weapons. Mukuro knew better than most to never disobey Kuro, since he nearly had his life sent to endless, inescapable, torturous Hell. Hibari came in second, but he also knew that arguing with the voice was another way of begging for one's death.

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With Ryohei ranting and mumbling about things not EXTREME enough, Yamamoto bumped up into him.

"Hey, you know where everyone else is?"

"No, TO THE EXTREME!!"

"Then, do you want to search together?"

"Sure!" And so they teamed up and went off to look together. Gokudera walked up. He bled a little, but was fine.

"Where's Juudaime?"

"We were looking for him."

"Then I'll come," Gokudera frowned, but reluctantly joined the group. _I hope Juudaime's okay... _

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Tsuna, however, walked into the worst possible scenario. He was limping, and thought he had reached a safe haven, until he noticed Hibari and Mukuro glaring intensely at each other, their blood lust flaring out freely, their demand to hurt and to injure was overpowering. Since they were banned from fighting each other for now, they had resorted to this. It was hard to control such hatred without having a vent.

And then came Tsuna.

Both predators recognized poor Tsuna as that vent, since he obviously won't fight back in that condition. The carnivores smiled, and attacked.

Author's Note: Isn't it weird to see Mukuro and Hibari fight _together, _not each other?? Yea, I know. Weird.

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Meanwhile, the trio who did _not _want to attack Tsuna wandered in the woods, looking under every shrub and bush. They checked every hiding place they passed, until they entered a clearing. Burn marks covered the dirt, and a few blades remained burning. Gokudera pursed his lips when he saw blood in the middle of the clearing. They assumed it was Tsuna's, since it also made sense that he walked away. It also explained the burn marks left on the ground.

"Juudaime was hurt. I'll never forgive whoever did that," said Gokudera.

"Ahh..." Yamamoto agreed.

"I'll totally fight that person TO THE EXTREME!!" Ryohei punched the ground.

"Come on, let's follow the trail. Maybe Tsuna would be at the end of it." Gokudera and Ryohei both agreed.

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Probably after a quarter of an hour later, Gokudera, Yamamoto, and Ryohei reached another clearing. However, the sight that awaited them was not very pretty.

"JUUDAIME!!" The Storm Guardian had worried even more when the blood trail became even thicker. Yet what worried him most was that Hibari and Mukuro were fighting _together _against Tsuna. Tsuna himself was pretty beat up. "Grr... Hibari, Mukuro, FU--ING GO TO HELL!!" And he threw two dozen handfuls of rocket bombs at the three, not noticing that Tsuna was what he actually aimed at.

"Whaaaaa!!" Tsuna's 'right-hand man' heard Tsuna yell, but took it as a sign that Hibari and Mukuro had attacked him again. Gokudera moved in, and proceeded attempting to punch Hibari and Mukuro. Yamamoto, however, came to Tsuna after the bombs went off. He slung one of Tsuna's arms over his and helped him to the sidelines. Ryohei soon joined Gokudera in the attempt to punch Hibari and Mukuro.

"Ciaossu." That one word stopped all movement in the clearing.

"REBORN?!" (Tsuna, of course.)

"Hey, little guy!" (Yamamoto.)

"Infant." (Hibari)

"Dame-Tsuna, control your Guardians. You're not going to be a good boss if two of your guardians keep beating you up and the other four are too weak to help you at all. Gokudera, control your temper. You're not going to be a good right-hand man either if you don't calm yourself, or watch where you aim. Guess what, you nearly killed your Boss. Yamamoto, don't be so naϊve. Ryohei, you also need to control your anger. Punching your fellow Guardians isn't a very good idea. Hibari, there is no need to play around with a broken toy. Isn't it better to let it heal up and you'll have more fun with it later on? You should learn to hold anger in yourself, too. Mukuro, I thought you should have known better than nearly killing the one person you wanted to possess. Control your anger. My. my. Look at what we have here. Four Guardians out of the six that need to control their temper. Tsk, tsk, tsk."

"Reborn, is this a good time to lecture us at all??" asked Tsuna.

"Well, why not?" replied Reborn.

"I'm so sorry Juudaime... I'm so sorry... I'm so sorry... so sorry..." said Gokudera, "I'll never forgive myself for hurting Juudaime."

"Plus, there's no fun not seeking EXTREME revenge TO THE EXTREME!!" added Ryohei.

"Really, it's alright, Gokudera. I know you never meant to hurt me. Onii-san, it's alright. I understand."

"Well, well, well. The Vongola are having problems of their own. And to see Mukuro here. Mukuro, I thought you had that grudge about mafia. And here you are, the Vongola's Guardian of the Mist." Everyone heard the voice, and immediately silenced. She continued. "Wow, so many familiar faces here. Hibari, the President of the Disciplinary Committee. Ryohei, the captain of the boxing team in Namimori Middle. Dame-Tsuna. Gokudera Hayato, the outcast. Yamamoto, the baseball captain of Namimori Middle's baseball team. And Reborn." Everyone could feel her smile.

"As I promised, I'll come out to meet you personally. Everyone, please don't jump to conclusions. Mukuro, I hope you don't do anything that will ruin me right now. I know you just have this urge to please me to any extent, as my student, but take that out just for tonight. Just tonight. Thank you!" Silence. A few raised eyebrows were directed at the pineapple headed man.

(Mukuro: WHAT?! 'PINEAPPLE HEADED MAN'?! CHANGE THAT!!

Nope. I already wrote it down, so HA!!)

"Well, Kuro-hime, finally. I've heard so much about you. And now I see you in person." Tsuna could see the strained calm Reborn had as he walked out of the clearing to meet Kuro.

"Yes, nice to meet you too, Reborn. After so long of hearing about you and your friends, I've finally been able to meet you directly. Pleasure to meet you."

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Oohh... This is a bit longer than the longer chapters... And I even wrote a 2638-word chapter, even though it used to be 3950 words and now became two chapters, this one and the next one!

Happy... happy...

XD

People of the Closet: Hey, KYOKO NEEDS TO GO TO THE RESTROOM!! FRIGGIN' LET HER OUT!!

No, I know that it's a lie. Only an alibi to get out of the closet.

Haru: Hahi! Me too!

People of the Closet: NO, WE REALLY MEAN IT!! AND SO DOES HARU!! SHE NEEDS TO GO TOO!!

Espér: Tch. Yea right. I installed a bathroom in there, and there aren't any escape routes there.

People of the Closet: WHAT BATHROOM?!

...the one in the closet? Doi...

People of the Closet: THERE IS NO BATHROOM!!

Espér: There is one behind a door inside the closet...

Really... It's not that hard to find...

Oh well...

Don't forget to review!

I lurves you all, readers!!

(hearts all over the place)

People of the Closet: COME ON, WE NEED A BATHROOM IN HERE!!


	9. Act 7: Meeting

Hey!

XD

Good to see you guys again!

And once again...

Gokudera: WHO THE HE-- IS KURO?! TELL ME WOMAN!!

Geez... so impatient... and a dirty mouth in the closet now.

_Smiles_

Well, I don't own Katekyo / Kateikyoushi Hitman Reborn, so just enjoy this alternate story!

XD

People of the Closet: HEY, KYOKO AND HARU STILL NEEDS TO GO!!

Espér: Really, can it be so hard to find? I even put an illusion over it so it won't smell.

People of the Closet: HEY, ILLUSIONS ARE FOR DISTORTION OF SIGHT, NOT SMELL!! YOU FRIGGIN' HID THE BATHROOM, GIRL!!

Hey, it shouldn't be much of a problem. Anyways, it's perfectly dark in there.

People of the Closet: THAT'S PART OF THE PROBLEM, TOO!!

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Reborn came into the clearing again, with the Kuro trailing behind him.

Kuro was short, about Reborn's, no, the Arcobaleno's heights. She wore a cloak, completely covering her head and body. The cloak was fire-colored, glowing with red, orange, yellow, and a small bit of blue, indigo, and violet bordering the edges. If you searched hard enough, there was also green right between the blue/indigo/violet and the red/orange/yellow fires. Were there some who looked at the cloak at another angle. There, it was completely dark, not one bit of bright, brilliant color upon the cloth. Tsuna noted the dark side of the cloak, and was painfully reminded of the dream.

_It's all coming true. The dream's coming true! It's really, truly reality now. Will it be?_

"Since you all have passed the test, it's time for me to fight you myself. So who's going to be first? I'm going to fight all of you eventually, so it doesn't matter who goes first. So, who wants to try me first?" Though her face was shielded from view, everyone knew she was smiling again.

Gokudera gritted his teeth. "Grr... I'll kill you for making Juudaime worry, and _hurting him!_" Gokudera took a step forward.

"NO! Gokudera-kun, don't do it! Please!" warned Tsuna. Gokudera gave Tsuna a questioning look.

"Bu-"

"I know, Gokudera. But I've seen what would happen. Please."

"Okay..." The Storm Guardian was unsure why Tsuna didn't want him to go against Kuro. She made Juudaime worry and even _hurt him. _However, he didn't see what Tsuna did a mere hour ago back at his house.

"Dame-Tsuna. This is a good chance too see how our Guardians have been doing after the Ring Battle. Plus, I've made sure she'll go easy," Reborn said.

"But, Reborn, you don't know what'll happen!"

"Ah, but you don't either."

"Reborn, I _do,_" countered Tsuna.

"Oh really? Gokudera, go."

"But-" complained Gokudera.

"Go."

"But, Juudaime sai-" Gokudera interjected once again.

"Go," repeated Reborn. Tsuna stood there, being held up by Yamamoto, wearing a very disgusted look on his face. To the mere thought that Reborn had caused his friends such hurt and pain was revolting. However, he made no move to stop what was now certain to happen. And there went his loser's conscience. _There was no use, so why try?_

Gokudera gave a running start for a closer aim, and threw his bombs. Like before, he threw two dozen handfuls of rocket bombs, instead at Kuro, not Tsuna. They exploded in a cloud of gray.

When the smoke cleared, Kuro held one of Gokudera's dynamite in her hand. The other sticks of dynamite had exploded around her, but dealt no damage. The Storm Guardian stood there, shocked. There has been not one person who had been in the middle of his bombing direction and escaped unscathed, much less catching one of them and not even attempting to run away. Kuro raised her hand with the dynamite, and threw it at Gokudera. He dashed out of what he predicted was the target area, but, since it was a rocket bomb, it turned and hit the Storm Guardian directly in the chest. He was knocked back into the ground, bleeding in several places. Tsuna thought, _He was bleeding in the same places exactly like in the dream. This is bad..._

"Tch. Such a weak _ebbro pianista-canaglia._ I hope you_ amici _are a bit harder, else I'll be very, very bored. I don't think you want me bored, do you?" Once again, Tsuna sensed a faint familiarity to the voice, yet it was like a stranger's.

The next one to face Kuro was Ryohei. Once again, Tsuna said nothing. Yamamoto now had a frown on his face, and Hibari and Mukuro were calmly looking on, both wearing a smile. Hibari smiling because he had finally found an interesting, new prey. Mukuro smiled because he was proud of his sensei. Reborn had no such smile. By now, he had recognized his mistake, but his pride forbid him to verbally voice this grave miscalculation.

Ryohei stepped up and looked at the small figure. _Am I supposed to fight this small person? This is going to be hard... _However, Kuro interrupted his thoughts.

"I'll give you a head start. Hit me anywhere you want, as hard as you want." Ryohei knew then that he had to give it his all in this. His full power in the Extreme Right. Ryohei walked up to Kuro. Then he delivered the blow.

That punch never connected with Kuro. There was simply a flash of light, and Ryohei was knocked backwards. He screamed from the pain in his arm as he hit the ground. He cringed, and blacked out. _H-he landed in the same place as in the dream, _Tsuna noted darkly. _So then, this is the real deal._

Yamamoto supposed it was now his turn, so he set Tsuna down on the grass. He stepped forward. Tsuna lowered his head, unable to continue watching. The Rain Guardian took up his Shigure Kintoki.

"Once again, you may deal the first blow." Yamamoto nodded at her words. He decided to start slow with the first form. However, before the sword blade touched her skin, there was a flash of white, and the sword immediately disintegrated to ashes. Yamamoto, who could sense Shigure Kintoki's injuries, was paralyzed and fell to the ground. He gritted his teeth as he tried to contain himself, but also blacked out.

_No wonder Kuro had taken down the whole mafia so quickly. She's unbelievably strong. She even taught Mukuro his skills. But... doesn't she have some type of weakness? _Tsuna thought. _Weakness... Weakness..._

"So, it's either Hibari Kyouya, the President of the Disciplinary Committee, or Rokudo Mukuro, the man I taught in Hell. Who shall it be? Well, who wants to go first?" asked Kuro.

"Sensei, I will. I'm sure you will be pleased to see my improvement while I was gone. Also, your circus illusion was magnificent. It was as if it were real. I loved your chocolate bananas and lollipops."

"Very well, Mukuro. The previous illusion was also a low-grade illusion. You still have much to learn. However, remember that we are here as enemies, as Vongola's Guardian of the Mist and as the challenger, not friends, as teacher and as student. I hope your head has enough space to fit that in..."

"Of course, Kuro-sensei."

"Kuro's fine. If you insist, then either Kuro-hime or Kuro-sama. Remember, I am Kuro-sensei only when in Hell."

"Of course, Kuro-hime." Mukuro bowed. Kuro glared at him through her hood.

"We are enemies here. Also, you may play the first card, and do anything you wish. Start, now." Mukuro smiled and sprung forth columns of fire. Kuro made no move to dodge them.

"You're really going to fall for such a low-grade illusion, sensei?"

"I'm only evaluating how effective it is."

"Of course, Kuro-sensei."

"Kuro-_sama._"

"Of course, Kuro-sama." Mukuro now summoned lotus flowers, and called on the snakes. He changed the surroundings to the desert, then to the rainforest, then to the ocean, the beach, the Arctic. However, he stopped when Kuro said:

"So this was all you did when I was gone? Pitiful."

"Kuro-sama, isn't this good enough?"

"Yes, for your low level. Not for me, however." She smiled under her hood. The scenery changed back to the regular dark forest. However, Mukuro could not move.

"Do you remember anything about what I told you about real illusions?" No reply. There was none needed for Kuro to conjure up Hibari standing over Mukuro's body, smiling, "Weak herbivore."

Mukuro struggled to counter that illusion, but failed. The illusion faded away with Mukuro leaning against a tree with his trident in pieces. Kuro smiled.

"Good job, well done. But that wasn't good enough for me. Hibari, it's your turn now. If you prefer it, I'll go extremely easy for you, and we can spar a bit longer. Don't take too long, Tsunayoshi's waiting."

"I'll bite you to death."

"Good. I hope you haven't forgotten what I've taught you as well. Tsuna, just wait a bit. It'll be your turn soon..." That sentence sent shivers down his spine. _Such cruelty._

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The sound of metal on metal resounded across the city. Down in the midst of trees, Hibari, Vongola's Guardian of the Cloud, and Kuro, a possible Arcobaleno, fought fiercely, each holding tonfas in their hands. Reborn stood where he stood and made no move to interfere. He finally figured it out. However, Tsuna watched the battle numbly. _Why hadn't Hibari won yet?_

Hibari swung, but Kuro dodged and swung. It stuck, again. Hibari swung, but missed again. Kuro landed a hit, and Hibari missed. The exchange of hit and miss continued. Hibari blocked a few lucky times, but the majority of the hits landed on his body. It continued and went on for so long. Hibari started showing signs of tire, but his blood lust grew so powerful and so annoyed at being unable to defeat this prey. Even his tonfas were suffering from heavy dents and scratches.

Swing. Miss. Swing. Hit. Hibari finally made up his mind and sprouted the spikes on his tonfas. He also released the pendulum in the attempt to surprise the opponent. All she said of them was this:

"So, you have a few hidden surprises? This is getting better every time. This piece of the Family is so fun to play with..." Hibari was extremely angered at this. And so they continued. Swing. Miss. Swing. Hit.

This was the end of the line for Hibari. He swung his pendulums to whirling speed. However, Kuro saw through that. She threw her tonfa, and her other one, too. They hit him, to Hibari's dismay. However, after Kuro threw her tonfas to strike Hibari, she had no more weapons left. Ironically, Hibari knew that Kuro was smiling again.

That angered him even further. Only _he _was supposed to smile like that. He stepped forward into a run towards Kuro with his whirling pendulums and spiked tonfas.

A flash of light. Hibari was knocked back. He landed on the grass. Blood splattered onto the ground. His tonfas flew into the air, landing on the ground unrecognizable. That was his second pair of tonfas, the pair that Espér had bought him right before he was almost dragged off to Australia. He gritted his teeth. Now, he was _really _mad. Kuro was going to pay. _Badly._

"I'll have to really give it my all now, eh, Kuro?" Hibari crazily smiled. "You're just playing with me, eh? Well, then I'll stop playing around, too. I'll really, truly bite you to death."

He lifted his hands. His arms. He planned to fight the good, old-fashioned way. Before he had his first pair of straw tonfas.

"Hibari Kyouya, you really plan to use fist and foot?" Hibari and Reborn, who weren't Dame-Tsuna, noticed a slight stutter in her voice.

"Oh, are you afraid?"

"Why would I be? It wouldn't be a fair fight if you had nothing and I don't plan to use anything else."

"Are you _mocking _me, herbivore?"

"Ah, I wonder if it's right for _you _to call me an herbivore. You are at most an omnivore, herbivore."

"I'll bite you to death."

"I wonder if you can if your teeth were knocked out."

"Just watch me," Hibari concluded with another crazed smile. He lunged for forward once again, but a brilliant flash of white blew him back. He was now covered in millions of cuts, scratches, bruises, etc. The tonfas laid beside him, heavily injured as well.

Kuro walked over to her own tonfas, took them in her hands, and they disappeared.

"Tch. And I thought he was pretty good against illusion... Well, Tsuna, your turn." Tsuna looked at Kuro. With a tiny little grim smile, he stepped up to the spotlight. Still, after so long, he bled.

"Tsunayoshi, you can't fight like this. Here." A flash, and all of his injuries were gone.

"Reborn, doesn't he have the pill box? Tsuna, put on your V.V.R.s and show your soft flame." Tsuna and Reborn were confused. Kuro sighed.

"So, you still aren't there yet, huh. Tsuna, put on your mittens and go into Hyper Dying Will Mode." Tsuna nodded. However, he thought, _V.V.R.s? Soft flame? Is my Sky flame I have right now a soft flame? Is there a harder flame? What are V.V.R.s?_

"Tsuna, show me what you got." He slipped on his 27 mittens and swallowed two pills from the box he received from Basil. Kuro silently watched.

Tsuna lighted his gloves and shot into the sky.

"So you've learned how to navigate through air through propulsion. Anything else?" Kuro also flew into the sky. Tsuna flew towards Kuro in an attempt to hit Kuro.

"We're supposed to be battling, Kuro. Remember that?"

"Is there any reason for me to forget? And there's your so-called 'Vongola hyper intuition'. So you've awakened that. And you now are near awakening in another world." Tsuna showed no sign of surprise, or rather, tried his hardest to suppress it. Kuro noted it and smiled.

"What else do you know?"

"Should I show you?"

"That depends if you want to." The Vongola 10th sped to Kuro, at another try at hitting Kuro.

"So we are going to find out through fight? And isn't most of your bloodline a non-violent, kind Boss thread? Courtesy to your counterpart, of course."

"I aim to close your mouth, Kuro." Kuro dodged his punch.

"So that's all you can do?" Tsuna turned around at another rush to Kuro. This time, however, Kuro did not dodge. Tsuna smiled, and sprouted ice around Kuro. Her body suddenly became heavy as she stopped her levitation. Tsuna caught it and flew to the ground. As he neared the trees, Kuro's prison of ice grew a spot of black. It spread from there to the rest of the ice. Creeping, crawling. It invaded the whole ice prison, and shattered. The black snow that fell below disappeared.

"You fell for it hook, line, and sinker. I can't believe your 'Vongola hyper intuition' is so weak that you couldn't sense something wrong. If you thought I'd be stopped with that, then how'd I get through the Ninth? Really, you guys are disappointing." Kuro flew a little farther. Let's fight above the city. There, you can see a bit more. That was what Kuro thought and transfered to Tsuna. As they neared the city lights, Tsuna could see that Kuro used a dark flame. A black flame. _What is it?_

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Tsuna was knocked into the ground previously 100 feet away. Kuro still stood in the air.

"Weak? No. Dame-Tsuna. You really are Dame-Tsuna. You know a few easy moves, and you don't even know the slightly harder ones. And you still don't have any idea what your flame can do, Vongola. Neither does Reborn. You don't even know that this weak flame cannot be absorbed. It's mine and mine only." Kuro looked back. Reborn had decided to follow along, having Leon take him into the air. The Yellow Arcobaleno remained silent.

As they slowly inched back to the trees, Tsuna took even more blows, yet still not able to touch Kuro. They were directly above the original clearing when Tsuna found no more energy to keep himself in the sky, and plummeted into the grass. Kuro and Reborn landed in that clearing after Tsuna's cloud of dust settled.

Tsuna was barely able to stand.

"Well, I'm sure you're very familiar with this scene, Tsuna," Kuro smiled for the umpteenth time, "You've seen it in a dream, a warning sent from me. Just to give you an idea of what to expect from me. Anyways, good night, Tsuna. I'll see you again soon."

And as Tsuna lost his consciousness, Kuro turned to Reborn, "Since it was you who came last, it's about time for you to arrange regroup and admittance, Meadow's Guardian."

Author's Note: Yes, I know it's a very weird place to put an author's note, so close to the end notes. However, all this here so far... HAS BEEN OVER A COURSE OF 3 DAYS AND ONE NIGHT, that is, in the fanfic...!! Le GASP!! How can that be??

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And here ends Chapter seven!!

XD

I hope you all are happy with this...

I'm working very hard on the next one!

Oh, and THANK YOU SO MUCH MICHELLE FOR BETAING THE CHAPTERS SO FAR!!

However... I'm looking for secondary ones too, so PM/review me if you are interested!!

I LURVES YOU, READERS!!

FREE VIRTUAL ORANGE PINEAPPLES TO ALL THOSE WHO STORY ALERT/REVIEW/etc ME!!

(hearts all over)

sayo-desu!


	10. Act 8: Wounds and Scars

CIAO-desu!!

Once again, HELLO TO ALL YOU READER FOLK!!

The eighth chapter is out, so ENJOY!! If you are asking about the title, look at it a second time and see it as a representation for damage dealt upon fellow friends and allies. I'll explain later if questions arise, and I would appreciate it if you tell me. I will post the answer on the next chapter, so sorry you have to wait... School is coming up... Busy... Yea... Thx!

(I don't own Katekyo / Kateikyoushi Hitman Reborn. Sorry guys.)

People of the Closet: HEY!! YOU CAN'T JOKE AROUND FOR LONG, WE SERIOUSLY NEED A BATHROOM IN HERE!!

Quote Mr. Bean: "If you read the Bible correctly, it says, 'Hell is damnation without relief.'" I'm sorry, Atkinson, if I got that wrong, BUT YOU GET THE IDEA!! MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!

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Espér looked at the rising sun and decided to go out to the road to see it. She flew down the stairs (Not literally, for those out there who forgot if humans can fly) and stepped out onto the gravel. However, there was someone blocking the view here. The silhouette looked familiar...

"Basil!" Espér squealed in Italian. She ran and hugged the 15-year old tightly. "Why are you here, though?"

"Well, it was a request from Master. To come and get someone..." He was suddenly somber.

"Who?"

"Someone who did something very bad." It was the assassin the other day who tried to shoot both her and Tsuna.

"Oh. Well, you do what you have to do, and I'll do what I'll have to do, okay Basil-nii?"

"Sure." One last hug and Espér ran back inside her apartment to get something for him. "One second!" she told him. She dashed back down and showed Basil a large, rectangular stone, a bottle of clear liquid, and a cloth.

"For your blades! I had to use a bunch of my money, but it's for you, and I hope you can use it well! You can sharpen your blades and made it all shiny and wipe off all the ketchup you got on it!" Since she was so young when she met Basil in the middle of a particularly bloody battle, he told her it was "a training session full of very smart, human-like machines that spew ketchup if you hit it."

She replied with something so innocent yet frightened and shocked Basil all the way down to his very own blood that day.

"I hope the ketchup tastes good. I _love_ ketchup!"

(Now, BACK TO THE PRESENT TIME!!)

"Bye, Basil! I hope you have fun back at Italy!" waved Espér.

"Have a good time here in Namimori, too, Espér! Bye!" said Basil. He walked off.

As he did, he thought, _She's not in very good shape. Dehydrated, tired, starved, body temperature lower than it should be, looks like stayed up all night, too. Usually, she's even more energetic than this. I wonder what happened... Could it be Kuro? My blades snapped then... I still got those broken ribs... Man, that _hurt _when she hugged me like that..._

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As Espér walked to school, she met up with Gokudera first, as her neighbor, then Yamamoto, then Tsuna. She had no wish to be dragged around like this, but she didn't have any wish against it.

The second she looked at Gokudera when she stepped out the door, she knew something was wrong.

"Hayato-nii, you have bruises and such big bandages... What happened?" Gokudera looked away. This prompted Espér to dig deeper.

"_What happened yesterday?_" Gokudera looked back, and replied with a quick "Well, you don't look so good either." Espér scoffed.

"You aren't supposed to say that to girls, and are you even a gentleman?" Gokudera gritted his teeth and retorted, "Are you even old enough to say that, kid?" Espér sighed.

"You were defeated in a fight, Hayato?" No reply.

"I thought so." They rounded a corner, and Yamamoto came to join them.

No smile.

There was simply no smile.

"Takeshi, what's wrong?" Nothing.

"Takeshi-nii, what happened? Something happened to Hayato, and you, too. What happened? Why aren't you smiling?" Yamamoto gritted his teeth, resisting the urge to shout at Espér. With the fact that his Shigure Kintoki is shattered, his temper has been cut dangerously short. Short enough to compete even with Gokudera's.

They continued with a heavy atmosphere floating around their heads.

As they rounded the corner to Tsuna's house, Reborn appeared.

"Yamamoto, I had your Shigure Kintoki taken to be fixed. Don't worry, they're extremely skilled. And all three of you, Tsuna's coming soon. You can come in if you want."

"It's okay. I can wait here," said Espér. The other two still didn't feel like replying.

A few minutes later, Tsuna came out, covered in band-aids and bandages.

"Juudaime! Are you alright?"

"I'm ready and I'm fine. Let's go."

"Tsuna, you don't look well. Are you sure you can go to PE?" asked Espér.

"What about you? You're so pale, and you look so tired and cold," said Tsuna. "You should take a day off school."

"No, I'm far better off than you. What'd you do yesterday?"

"Juudaime got hurt because of me." Gokudera lowered his head. "And plus, what made you look so much like that?"

"Hayato! I told you to _never _say that to a girl!" Gokudera gave Espér a poisonous look.

"Okay, okay... geez. Last night, there were noises and screams and stuff. Like-like torturing. Frightening. And I couldn't sleep after that. And you still haven't told me what you did yesterda-" Then her eyes widened. "You couldn't have... No, please say it isn't so..."

"What?" snapped Gokudera. Yamamoto still couldn't talk.

"I-I'm so sorry. I never knew you went through such a horrible experience last night. I-I shouldn't bother you guys anymore..." Espér lowered her head and her hands covered her face, bangs helping to cover the tears. She stopped walking. The three looked back. Yamamoto bit his lip to keep from shouting. Gokudera looked so guilty. Tsuna had a worried look.

Espér finally got a hold of herself and said, "I-I'm so sorry for crying in front of you guys. I-I'll leave now." As she quickly walked ahead, she took off her hair band. As her long hair spread around herself, Gokudera's hand jumped to his mouth.

_Sh-she is... No, could it? Here, in Japan? Can't be. It can't be._

_Hadn't she died?_

_Had she come back for vengeance?_

_It's... Black Hope._

_She's returned._

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Really sorry about the short chapter... School's coming and I'll be extremely busy... just like so many of the other authors... NOOO!! I'LL MISS YOU ALL, READERS!! Also, I'll try and find my secondary beta reader, or maybe even my third!! YAIZ!!

The next chapter's going to be longer, I guarantee you guys!

I LURVES ALL THOSE WHO READ, AND FREE VIRTUAL ORANGE PINEAPPLES TO ALL THOSE WHO REVIEW AND ALERT AND FAVE ME!!

See you next time, folks!

Oh, and a note for you readers: I am busy on a rewrite story for this story, so both of these I will be working on at the same time. Please cope with my slowness.... There will be a long delay until I will update again, and I will send out chapters in little spurts. Sorry for this, but I have much to do aside from this. I already try to do at least a bit every day...

Well, just a little notice. Have an awesum life while I try to get everything together, okay?

xDD


	11. Act 9: Tainted Heart

Ciao-desu!

I'm really, really sorry for the late update, I'll try and update faster, if possible at all. Thank you for the patience!!

xD

Well, we enter the... which one was it again?... um... the 9TH CHAPTER!!

I don't own KHR, A. Akira does.

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Espér POV

When I told them about the noises in the night, I discovered what I truly did to my friends. I could no longer stay without revealing the true power I could use to hurt them.

Maybe I shouldn't have taken off my hair band. Then Hayato-nii wouldn't have known. But if I didn't, then I wouldn't have been able to hold myself in, and everyone would've known. I would pour out all the hurt I've had in the course of my life. When I came here, just to find Onii-san unable recognize me at all. When Mama and Papa left me. When Kyou-nii was going to be taken away. When Onii-sama died for me. I'll have to warn Hayato sometime today. Lunch? Yes, lunch. Or maybe I could plainly wipe it clean out of him. However, there'd be a few problems there if anyone else remembers...

Oh, well. What passed is the past. I have nothing to change that, aside from dimensions. They're a little confusing, so forget it. I closed my eyes as I walked forward.

And plus, I can't play stupid forever. Just until Primo remembers. Just until Onii-san remembers who I really am. And why I am the pearl, the treasure of all the Vongola. Then, the famiglia might have a small, a tiny, little chance of survival in the future. Only if Onii-san remembers. Only if...

Ifs. Ifs. If we can do that. If we can't do that. If it doesn't happen. If it does. There are way too many ifs in life. Too many.

You know, this is a little biased, as to save only the Vongola and leave out others in trouble. No matter. The little ones don't suffer from such damage as the major ones. They pick themselves up right away.

The Estreano. They are an exception. Only if they are a bit more humane, then they'd be given a chance for survival. But no. They don't have minds as sturdy as we do. Right, Mama, Papa? I sighed. These tears don't have an end, do they? I smiled when I imagined a conversation with Kyoko.

"Hey, I thought your onii-san always runs around the town before school."

"His arm is injured, and so he's going to skip that."

"But, why is his arm injured?"

"He was late at night yesterday sumo wrestling."

There, I'll laugh. I'll chuckle and I'll smile. Fake ones, but nevertheless, one of the first and few chuckles and laughs I've had in my life, in this time.

And then there was Kyou-nii. He knows I fight very well, but I don't think he knows I'm the one that's guilty. It might go like this...

"Kyou-nii, what happened? Why do you have so many band-aids? A-and why are your tonfas...dented?" He would glare at me.

"Kyou-nii, what happened yesterday?" He would look at me for a long time, kneel down, put his hands on my shoulders, and say:

"Well, what about you? You look so tired and so malnourished. So thirsty. And you're cold. What did you do? I can get you out of class if you want."

"No, I'm alright. You need to be fixed up, so you'll look just like new."

"First priority is the princess, not the guard. Come on, let's get you out of class. I'm sure the teachers will understand if I'm there and they see you." He stands up and leads me to the teacher's office so I can skip class. "You don't need classes, anyways. We can get you a teacher for yourself instead."

And then he'd step into the teacher's office. The teacher would tell Kyou-nii he needs to go to the school nurse, and Kyou-nii would tell the teacher that he's fine with a dangerous glance and a "I'll bite you to death" warning. I would be taken out of class for the day and taken back to my apartment with Kyou-nii, and he'd teach me that day's lessons instead.

I smiled to myself again. Kyou-nii can be so kind sometimes. For me, all the time. I really wish that he _really _was my brother, sometimes. I even had to call his parents auntie and uncle. I put on a watery smirk. Kyou-nii, you have no need to do that. I'm perfectly fine. I went to school with a bullet wound before, that day.

It's as if he knows I'm responsible of so many of those things. As if he knows that I don't want to hurt him anymore than I already did. That was why he could be so bossy sometimes to get me home and rest if I'm hurt.

However, if we're at my apartment, they'll come, and Kyou-nii would be in trouble and I would have no choice but to erase him. My smirk disappeared.

Of course I admire everyone, but still, I have to do things that are bad and are wrong. Sins.

Then, everyone would truly look down on me. I would be so ashamed of myself that I'd rip myself from myself, choke my heart to silence it. Vongola would have no chance at all to survive then.

Then, as punishment, everyone I know will die without reason. Without purpose.

Therefore, I have to continue to sin. For the sake of everyone else.

And there was that time I almost had slain, just like the way they killed Mama and Papa, only to protect Onii-san. I know that was wrong, but it was either he dies, or they die. It didn't have to be the gun, it could've been something else.

Kyoko approached me, obviously sensing something wrong. I shook her off.

But, isn't the family supposed to sacrifice for me? Even the Boss? If I die, then there is no purpose for existing anymore. I, the pearl, gone, then the rest of the clam shall die. The rest of the clam shall die, or live on.

Live on. Live on. Every time I hear that, it brings remorse and regret. The losses to continue on without those you need.

Once again, I closed my eyes. Instead of going to class, I headed for the trees in the park. Here, where the sakura bloom every year.

Long ago, I had found a secret feeling that only the sakura here give. A feeling of completeness. Nothing holding you back. Like that place Mukuro took me a long while ago.

I found one of the taller trees and climbed it. I found a place to sit and cry in without being seen. And so I sat there and cried.

The tears that freely flowed into my hands still did not dry; instead, it stayed there. They were like my sins. Once I had done them, they will never go away. I started shaking and shivering.

I had killed Onii-san. I had killed off his Guardians. I hurt him. I hurt all of his guardians. There was Hayato, the one who always collapsed from Bianchi's food, Takeshi, the one who always smiled, Ryohei, who always stayed on the positive side, no matter what. There was Kyou-nii, my 'as-if' brother, the sadist yet with a kinder side, and Mukuro, the pineapple man, whose indigo hair always bobbed in the sea wind, the one who rescued me from the bad people that killed my parents. Even Tsuna, the one that was weak on the outside, yet so selfless and so mentally strong today and in the future... And there was the rest of the mafia... I've hurt so many, and yet I'm still blood innocent.

I've sinned so much, I've hurt so much, and yet I still haven't lost my blood innocence.

Does that even make sense?

Of course that doesn't, to anyone sane enough to listen to me.

I-I am so, so ashamed of myself. I am actually doing what I predicted.

I would be ashamed of myself and rip myself from myself. I would choke my heart to silence it. However, if I do, then everyone would be dead, and I have even more the reason to roll around in my sins and self-torcher.

No. I have to collect myself and face the good in this, too. However, was there any good in the mafia in the first place? No. I can't think that. Good things... the good things about the mafia...

I had no idea what time it was when someone interrupted me. Someone I recognized. Someone I loved as a brother.

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As the three entered Namimori for class, they glimpsed Hibari floating around, apparently looking for something.

When Yamamoto, Gokudera, and Tsuna entered the classroom, Espér was nowhere to be found. Yamamoto, being short tempered today, quickly took his seat. Gokudera, still lost in thought, numbly took his seat. Tsuna was still concerned for Espér when he sat in his.

A minute passed. The bell rang. Another minute. Roll call was done, and Hibari slammed open the door, seething.

"Sawada, Gokudera, Yamamoto," he snapped, "I shall see you in my branch at lunch, or else I'll bite you to death. I don't take very lightly for you herbivores to upset my cousin."

_Hey, when did he get a branch? Or did he confiscate it and take it?_

Though no one had known, Espér's bag was left on the pavement, abandoned. A certain red-headed student with glasses looked at it and decided to look through it. Inside, there was a set of headphones attached to an MP3 player, some homework, textbooks, other papers written in a language he did not recognize (they were in Italian, dummy), and a contract written in Japanese, sealed with a wax stamp. He thought it wouldn't hurt one bit to listen to what the MP3 player had and to read that contract.

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Lunch...

The three filed into the room and took the chairs set for them.

Hibari arrived through the door after them and slammed it closed. "Well, you really came, didn't you? Do you even know who my cousin is? Well, to start off, who did all three of you talk to this morning?"

No response.

"Well, I'm sure you guys are wondering why I haven't made any violence yet. And to remind you, the last time you messed with my cousin, I'm sure you've been very patient since to be bitten to death. Especially you, Gokudera, Yamamoto." Hibari poisonously smiled.

No reply. Hibari took out his tonfas. They were still heavily dented, and Gokudera and Yamamoto, who didn't see Kuro and Hibari sparring, were surprised.

"So you were defeated by Kuro, too, Hibari?" challenged Gokudera.

"Well, not as quickly as you, herbivore." They both readied their weapons.

"Ahh! Guys, wait! I'm sure you both don't want to destroy Namimori property!" said Tsuna.

"He's right. Let's go to the courtyard."

"Fine with me." Yamamoto silently followed along.

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They fought for quite a while, now. Gokudera nearly ran out of dynamite and bombs. Yamamoto didn't fight, since his sword is currently broken. Tsuna is starting to tire.

And with their injuries from last night, it was painful to move around so quickly. They were fighting in the park now, since there were quite a few running away from Gokudera's bombs. However, Hibari heard quiet sniffling with his sharp ears, and slowly and subtly moved the battlefield away.

The bell rang, and Hibari announced, "Well, we're done for the day. Tomorrow, meet me in the courtyard right after lunch."

The bloodied Tsuna and Gokudera immediately left with Yamamoto helping them up. Hibari went the other direction, back to the park.

He looked up into the trees, searching for the source of the sorrowful lament.

"Princesses don't cry, Espér."

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Ahh... I'm finally done...

Espér: Hey, for these last few chapters, why isn't the closet making any sounds?

Well... I put on a muffler, so I can write in peace.

Espér: Good thinking.

... Should I tell you that I also put a soundproof layer over the closet, too?

Espér: Oohhh... You're evil...

Yea, I really am

_Smirk_

Well, FREE VIRTUAL ORANGE PINEAPPLES TO ALL THAT REVIEW AND ALERT!!

HURRY BEFORE THE STOCK RUNS OUT!!

Note: All I have to collect is your address, email address, and 100 for shipping. If you're not satisfied, then I'll give you a full refund, although shipping and handling fees aren't accounted for.

I LURVES YOU ALL READERS / ALERTERS / REVIEWERS / MULI-REVIEWERS!!

XD

Note: This was written a long time ago, and I decided to release it so the story at least moves along. xD I'll be updating a little faster for the next six chapters since I've already written them. Have fun reading!! xDD

And I have noticed that this chapter is a bit filler-like (cough cough) and very emo and emotional (are those things the same thing? [cough cough some more]). So, (I should have said this in the beginning) you are allowed to skim. xDD

-Signed Koori


	12. Act 10: Lies and Truth

Well, we have the TENTH chapter!!

YAY I have never went so far as a TWO DIGIT chapter number!!

HOORAY FOR ME!!

MUAHAHAHAHAHA!!

AND THANK YOU EVERYONE WHO'S REVIEWED ME AND ALERTED ME AND THANK YOU SO MUCH, MICHELLE, FOR BETAING ME SO FAR!!

I'LL NEED A SECONDARY BETA READER, SO PM ME IF YOU'RE INTERESTED!!

Ahem... Excuse me... Well, enjoy this chapter, folks...

I don't own KHR...

This chapter is more of like a mentally attacking chapter... so yea...

And... OUR FAVORITE SADIST HERE HAS FOUND OUT PART OF THE SECRET THE PRINCESS HIDES!!

Le GASP!!

Oh and i am very sorry that i updated a little late.... waahh...

sorries...

oh well, Enjoy!

xDD

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Espér POV

I was crying in that tree, ignoring nearly everything outside my private little bubble. Kyou-nii popped it in a most unsatisfying manner, or the most unsatisfying manner to me in the self-hating mood I was in right now.

"Princesses don't cry, Espér." I glared at him, making sure my knees covered part of my face, so he won't see the wet tears that stained my uniform.

"Come on, Espér. Please get down from the tree." I put my head back down on my knees and shook my head there, mumbling a soft "No, Kyou-nii."

"I've punished the three who made you cry. Come on. They're gone now, and you can come down." At that, my eyes watered, and I shut them. I sniffed and hugged my legs. No, I can't start crying again. Not in front of Kyou-nii.

How could he? They must be bleeding heavily by now. All because of me. I should've known better. It was a good thing I tied up my hair when no one was looking, or else more people would know, like Kyou-nii...

"Please come down, princess. Or I'll have to come up there." I shook my head again. I heard a few scratches, a grunt, and a few bursts of hard breathing. By then, I knew he had climbed the tree. I still had my head down.

"You know why your parents call mine brother and sisters? Why we have to call each others' parents aunt and uncle?"

"B-because they are r-really good f-friends..." I squeezed my eyes closed even tighter and shivered even harder. _Friends. Real friends. Friends that don't lie to me. Something I did not have. Something I truly do not have, even now._

"No," Kyou-nii whispered, "It's because we're cousins." I shot my eyes open.

He-he's my _cousin? _After so long for wishing that Kyou-nii was a brother, and turns out he's a perfect fit for one... He must be lying.

Anyways, if he _really _is, then he must be born into the Estreano famiglia, too. Then, he must have been tested on, too. And how did he escape that? There's no way Mukuro would save _him. _Therefore, he must, _must, _be lying. No matter how hard it is to say this, I must, if I would ever find the truth.

Too many times I've been tricked. Too many times I've been deceived. Too many times I've been told lies. I cannot put my full trust on anyone but myself. Even at times, Onii-san had lied and had taken me away.

And now it was, of all people, Kyou-nii.

"K-K-Kyou-n-nii, a-are you s-sur-sure that i-it's tr-true? K-K-Kyou-n-ni-nii, a-are you l-ly-ly-lyi-lyin-"

"No," he whispered again. For a split second, I had almost believed it.

"No, no, no! You _are _lying to me, Kyou-nii! Too many have lied to me. Why should you be any different? Mama lied. Papa lied. Auntie lied. Uncle lied. All those bad people lied. Hayato lied. Ryohei lied. Tsuna lied. Even _Yamamoto_ lied. The teachers all lied. The landlords lied. The-the cashiers lied. The shopkeepers lied. The newspapers lied. Reporters lied. Detectives lied. The police lied. For crying out loud, _all the murderers lied, too. Why, why_ would you be any different than another _fellow citizen_?" I had stood up against the tree's thick trunk, hands balled up into fists. Kyou-nii, who sat beside me on the branch looked up at me.

Too late.

He had seen the never-drying tears on my uniform, my red cheeks. He knew I had been crying for longer than I have ever cried in my life now. Then he would pity me the way he always does, and take me home.

But I can't let him. _They'd _come, and take him away. Or have me erase him. Of course, I don't want to do that. Do I?

"Espér, you were crying?"

"Well, of course I was!" I'm so ashamed of my harsh tone on Kyou-nii, but there's no helping it.

"D-did you notice anything else around you?"

"The green sakura buds, the trees, the branches, the ground. Why do you want to know, anyways, deceiver?" I was surprised at what I had said to Kyou-nii. Fresh tears lit up my eyes, and I shut them in for the millionth time today. I knew that single word had shot through Kyou-nii like an arrow.

I knew, for all these years, he strived to make someone, just someone, happy. And when he didn't, or that person is not satisfied, he'd start biting them to death. I was the only one who did not care and smiled at everything he did to please me, failure or success.

That is why I am a princess to him, and he had taken up the role of guard. Those days, there were many bullies who picked on me. I hated them. Kyou-nii saw need for protection against them, and learned how to fight through his parents, who were also Mafioso. He treated me like royalty and remained loyal even through the tough times when the Estreano fell and scattered across the world.

When we were ripped apart, we had cried, but promised to never cry any harder than that until we reunite and are once again ripped apart.

I had broken that promise.

Both, I had broken my promise, and even insulted Kyou-nii. He was worn out for some reason. Maybe because of the fight last night. The mere thought of it now brought extra tears to my already wet face.

"I-I'm sorry, Kyou-nii. Excuse me." I climbed higher into the tree and sat there, hugging my legs and resting my throbbing forehead on them once again. I started to shiver and shake in the waves of self-hate.

I-I am ashamed. I hate myself and am ashamed of myself. I'm actually considering suicide now. I don't deserve to sin so much. I don't deserve to watch everyone I have known die, and I live on. I just want my onii-san back. I just want Onii-san back. And Kyou-nii to stop lying and for once tell me the truth. For everyone to stop lying to me. For everyone to stop hiding things from me. For everyone to stop my torturous nightmare, and I can finally live in reality.

My-my dream, my illusion of eternal happiness, it has turned into a dark thing, a nightmare, a haunting, a-a different type of hurt and torcher. It's called a backfire plan.

I deserve things better than lies. Something better than self-hate. Something better than shame. Something better than suicide. Something, something like honesty and trust.

Something like the feeling of being loved and supported. Something like admiration. Something like you're not alone in the world.

Subordinates are not enough. Followers aren't enough. Minions aren't enough.

I need...  
I need something...

Something like a friend.

Fresh tears poured from my eyes, and I felt Kyou-nii climb up to where I sat. No. I cannot risk hurting him anymore. I have to stay away from him. I can't take the thought that I have to hurt him. Someday, sometime, he'll sacrifice himself to save me. Just like all the other mindless Vongola Guardians and Vongola Bosses.

I can't let that happen.

With my high status and rank, I cannot let him do that. I have the power to change things.

I-

I have the power to _change things._

Kyou-nii sat with me and rubbed my head. I mumbled another "No, Kyou-nii."

I've met Byakuran before. He had those same narrowed eyes of a sadist, a killer. However, they all have soft sides. Like a turtle. The shell protects the underside. By being a killer, a carnivore, you can survive. But that doesn't sound right. By killing, you can survive.

Isn't it if you are _tough _enough, _strong _enough, then you may survive. I'm tough, am I? Am I strong enough? Yes, I am strong, but am I tough? Strong in the mind as well as in the body? No. I'm a girl. They are not made for war. They are not made for fighting.

Yet they still can. They can fight. I can do that. I can adapt. Just like I had when I changed from before to now. I had adapted.

Adapted. I've heard of a carnivorous deer in the Rum islands somewhere in Europe, who had ran out of a source of protein. They had turned to ripping a bird's head to get it. The true, original wolf in a deer's skin.

Can, can I adapt that way? To change my blood innocence status? To say that I have truly killed, spilled blood?

Onii-san had his. Tsuna will, too. And both sets of Guardians had and will. Had I? Will I?

No. I cannot spill blood. I can end one's life in other ways than that type of vulgar violence. I, one of high rank and status, cannot sink to the level of _killing._ To send one to their worst demise: nothingness. No second chance. Only death. Reasonless death.

My tears haven't stopped yet. My head hurt even more. The waves of hate and shame slammed against my delicate barrier of numbness, and collapsed.

I can't do it. I can't go any more. All the sacrifices, for me to live. And yet it has made me more miserable, and more regretful. Did I really deserve to live on under so many sacrifices?

Kyou-nii, for some reason, hugged me. It felt good. For so long, I, who had been standing up without something to lean on, had never felt what friendship is. Friendship is truly like a second chance. I have fallen into the depths of self-loathing, and Kyou-nii has pulled me back out. And he is comforting me. Saying everything's all right. Telling me that I have nothing to worry about. And I wept in his comforting arms until the sunset. The sky darkened, and the moon, which was no longer full, came out. Even though I was there for so long, I hardly even felt better. Is it possibly that I can't be fully healed with a mere hug?

Anyways, I felt a little better, and I feel I can continue on to school tomorrow without having to skip it.

"K-Kyou-nii, I want to g-go back to my apartment. And you n-need to rest, too. You were b-bleeding, and you sh-should wash up, too." More tears welled up, but I had to push them away.

"Shhh."

"I-I have school tomorrow, and-" I gasped. "My bag. Where is it? I-I need to get it back, or else someone might've taken it away! K-Kyou-nii, my homework's in there, and my books, and everything!" I shook myself from Kyou-nii's grip.

"No, no, shhh. We'll get it back tomorrow. I'm sure you'll know what the teacher's teaching anyways. And I'm sure if I find it, I'll get it back for you as best I can, okay?" Kyou-nii took me into his arms again. He knew I still needed to heal. Still needed to control myself. He smiled a cheerful smile, though I can immediately tell it was a fake one. Byakuran smiled like that, and so did Kyou-nii. They were similar, however shall despise each other. They, they shall fight over me. One out of loyalty, and one for the sake of power.

But Kyou-nii doesn't know what's in my bag.

I had my contract in there, and my MP3. The contract to those pink-haired, masked women of the Cervello Organization, and the MP3 soundtracks of both the songs of Heaven, Hell, and all that stand between. The very songs I have learned to sing, and the ones that send all those who hear it to either Death, Life, or Rebirth.

I have to get them back, before I hurt even more people. And I hope my favorite headphones aren't stolen...

And plus, if my contract is broken, I'll be left homeless, and poor. I can't do that. I-I can't freeload off others. It's their money they had worked very hard for, and I can't just take it. I have to work for mine, too. I can't allow myself to freeload. My pride won't allow it. And so will my conscience and myself.

"K-Kyou-nii? I need to find my bag. Really, I do. An-and I'm tired. Please?"

"No, it's really okay. Let's stay here. You'll feel better, and we can search for it tomorrow. Okay?" He really doesn't know what's at stake.

"I-I'm sorry, Kyou-nii. I have to go find it. Someone could die if I don't find it." Kyou-nii looked shocked.

"D-die? What do you mean die?"

"I-I have this paper, and if I lose it, I'll be in big trouble. If I don't take the punishment, they'll hurt someone I know, like you."

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Hibari POV

"I-I have this paper, and if I lose it, I'll be in big trouble. If I don't take the punishment, they'll hurt someone I know, like you."I had never known that Espér had been in such a situation before. Something so similar to the mafia. Something so similar to what our parents did.

"No, I'm sure nobody would go through someone else's stuff. It's wrong." I squeezed her reassuringly. However, she bowed her head.

"Killing's wrong. Lying's wrong. Tricking is wrong. Violence is wrong. And if you always do that, what's the reason to not do something as little as going through someone else's stuff?" She started to cry again.

"Shhh... Espér, princesses don't cry. They are always beautiful and brave, and don't cry, ever."

"Kyou-nii, what if that princess has secretly sinned so many times that they don't even _care_ anymore?" Oh, kami-san, what did Espér ever do to you? She's a little girl, for crying out loud! And to let her be exposed to such things...

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Espér POV

"Kyou-nii, what if that princess has secretly sinned so many times that they don't even _care_ anymore?" I immediately regretted what I said. It was a while until Kyou-nii finally whispered:

"Espér... It-it's alright."

"Kyou-nii, is it really?"

"I-I-"

"It isn't, right? I don't deserve anything you give me anymore. I don't deserve anything at all anymore, no matter what it is, no matter who it's from. I'll go." I shook Kyou-nii off and stood up, still leaning on the trunk. I made my way down the tree and ran for it, too ashamed to face Kyou-nii anymore.

Tears rolled down to my cheeks as I remembered his words: "It's because we're cousins."

_I wish. _

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Well, we're done with this chapter, and here goes the next chapter, 'TIL NEXT TIME, FOLKS!!

FREE VIRTUAL ORANGE PINEAPPLES TO ALL THOSE WHO REVIEW / STORY ALERT / FAVE MY STORY!! (Shipping and handling fees are 100 dollars, if you're not satisfied, you may request a full refund. However, shipping and handling fees aren't counted, and you must pay for shipping and handling on the way back, too. Hurry, before stock runs out!)

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ciao-desu!

PS: This chapter is a little weird-ish, so this chapter is liable to changes, mostly major ones, if i decide to change it. As you know, I am busy with the rewrite, so the changes will most likely appear there.

Thanks for your patience!

xD


	13. Act 11: Display of Frustration

Ciao-desu!

This is now the... ELEVENTH CHAPTER OF THE KHR FANFIC I'M WRITING HERE (I don't own KHR, however)!!

I hope you enjoy!

(And I hope that muffler on the closet doesn't beak...)

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Espér POV

The Next Day...

I went to school today, even though I haven't found my bag yet. Basil wasn't anywhere. Did he leave without saying goodbye?

On my way to school today, I first saw Hayato as usual, but he didn't say anything at all.

"You know, do you?"

"What?" snapped Hayato, as usual.

"Ah, you know. I'm sure of it." He looked away. We neared the turn. I took his collar and thrust him against the wall.

"You are not going to say anything. Nothing. It's for the best of the Vongola, Tsuna, and Onii-san. If you don't do as I say, I'll have to wipe you away. Erase. Yes, _erase._ Eliminate. You know what I mean now, eh?" I let go of his collar and reverted back to normal. He was still shaken when we met up with Yamamoto.

"Hey."

"Oh, Takeshi."

"What?" he snapped and looked away.

"I found this on my doorstep today. Isn't this yours?" I handed him the package I held. He looked at the label and immediately ripped open the cardboard.

From the mess of cardboard, string, tape, and Styrofoam, you can see a child again; a child who has waited so long for his Christmas present, and has gotten it in the middle of July. Oh, the joy on his face when he held up his cherished..._two Shigure Kintokis?!_

That was what I expected from them. One surprised face, and then mine, too. Takeshi asked, "There's two? No wait. There's a note."

"_Dear Mr. Yamamoto Takeshi,_

"_I have repaired your Shigure Kintoki. However, I have made a duplicate, especially for you, free of charge. It is an exact copy of the original, except of one detail: it's also a baseball bat that turns into a regular, clean katana over 300kmph, and is also compatible with your Vongola Rain Ring. I hope you will not damage them beyond repair, as I have worked extremely long and hard for them._

"_I will be awaiting my payment of the repairing. The cost is a cheap 100 euros, since I am not sure how much allowance you Japanese teenagers receive. I shall be waiting for my pay through Reborn._

"_Thank you, and pleased to do business with you, Rain Guardian." _It was signed with a dark flame, the way the Ninth marks his, however is on the bottom of the paper. A blurred signature also sat at the bottom. In the bottom left corner, it said, "From the Training Room Underneath, Signed at the Desk of-" The last word was smudged.

In the right corner, however, there was a silly little scribbling in gel pen. Of a pineapple and a trident.

"Ahahaha! That pineapple there is so cute!"

"Shut up, baseball idiot, that's probably something related to Mukuro..." I smiled at them, if for a short period, at the ridiculousness of their argument. I was happy, happy I have finally done something right.

I've fixed Takeshi.

He ran back into the sushi shop to put away the two swords, and came back out looking like a kid on New Year's Day.

We walked on, Takeshi and Hayato in their violent conversation (Thanks to Hayato, of course), and me walking in front, subconsciously leading the two in the right direction. We arrived at Tsuna's house, and Tsuna came running towards us, as if the world is going to end that very minute.

"AAHHH!! SOMEONE HELP ME!! REBORN'S COMING!!" And when that person did not come, he looked back in confusion, and cautiously crept back into the house, just to be greeted by what sounded like a kick, and an "AIIITTEETTEETTEE!!..."

I smiled. When Onii-san was young, he, too, had been foolish and careless. And that explained why Reborn was here. Tsuna grabbed his bag and dashed out of the house.

"Sorry, you guys. Reborn."

"Oh. Who is-" I was the only one who replied. The other two were still arguing.

"Hey, Espér-san, where's your bag?"

"Eh, well about that..." I chuckled.

"Where is it?"

"I don't know where it is now... and probably someone else has it right now... Ehehe..." I scratched me head in the cheerful way my outside person would do.

"Well, can I help you find it and get it back?"

"Nah, it's really alright. I think I can find it by myself..."

"Okay, well, ask me if you need any help."

"Sure thing, Tsuna-san."

The four of us continued on to Nami-chuu, just in time for the bell. We took our seats, and prepared for roll call. The teacher called my name.

"Nera-Noir Espérer!"

"Here."

"Why were you gone yesterday?"

"Um..." My wall, my barrier of numbness and non-feeling, has taken yet another hard blow. Who knows, it might even collapse this instant. However, I cannot let that happen. I am stronger than that. I can do this.

C-can I?

"Espérer-san, tell me_ this instant!_" I've been pushed a little bit too far.

"Um... um..." My voice started to tremble. Kyou-nii took this chance to burst into the classroom with his blood lust turned on maximum.

"I would like to _talk to_ Espérer-san about skipping yesterday's school day."

"Espérer!" the teacher snapped, "You, go with Hibari-san!"

"H-hai, sensei..." I rapidly put away my books in the classroom with the best worried apprehension face I can put up. Why is Kyou-nii here? Is he going to punish me for skipping class now? No, he isn't that stupid. He probably is getting me out of class since he's worried that I won't last the whole day. But if I skip the whole day again, what will I do? Try and find my bag?

I walked up to the door of the classroom, where Kyou-nii roughly grabbed my arm and dragged me out. I cried out.

"K-Kyou-nii, it_ hurts_! Kyou-nii!" Nothing.

"Kyou-nii, ah, ah, ah, _Kyou-nii it really hurts!_" Still nothing. And I'm not pretending. He has a powerful grip, and I can tell my arm's having extreme internal bleeding problems now, with the rest of it going numb. My nerves are very sensitive, since I use them to detect changes in airflow and air pressure.

"Kyou-nii, _please?_" Nothing, as if he were deaf. Only until he felt something wet and slightly sticky had he let go. He had drawn blood.

I bit my lip. "P-princess, I'm so sorry... but I have to take you somewhere..." Instead of my arm, Kyou-nii took hold of my hand and led me to a music room, in the middle of which sat a piano.

"Play it, vent your feelings out into the world. But don't worry. No one's going to hear. It's soundproof." I looked at the piano and then back at him.

"But I might break it, Kyou-nii." Again, I have surprised Kyou-nii. He must be thinking that how could I even cry at such powerful feelings. Yamamoto had stopped much earlier when he decided to jump off a building, just for the sake that he might not ever play baseball again.

If you're wondering how I knew that, ask Gokudera, who's always fussing that Yamamoto keeps on troubling 'Juudaime'.

Anyways, I stepped up to the piano and started to play. It started out soft, but built up in a crescendo to a rolling blizzard of anger, frustration, and hate. All of a sudden, I stopped, and continued on softly, again building up the crescendo. It was nerve-wreaking, for the crescendo to unnaturally stop, and that was just like what I've been going though for those long years of pain and hardship.

For most of the crescendo, I've started off in major keys, giving off a royal and noble, yet soft sound, but slowly and carefully switched to a quickly angering minor, signifying the sins I have committed, the pointless sacrifice of life. And that is where I suddenly stop the crescendo.

At my seventh crescendo, a few piano strings popped out, and it was so loud and I slammed my fingers in the keyboard so hard, that the piano leg broke, the piano cover closed at a "snap!", quite a few keys jumped off, and the wood inside cracked and screamed.

I looked at Kyou-nii in an "I told you so" look, and he sighed.

"Okay, then..." He thought for a moment. He frowned as he said, "Let's go outside, then, shall we?" I nodded. I felt horrible, but no doubt a little better than before, too. Vents _do _help, then.

I came out to the courtyard. It was a beautiful day, and nobody was out on PE right now. I looked at Kyou-nii to find out what he wanted me to do. His face was twisted in concentration.

"Kyou-nii, what's the matter?" When my eyes met his, I felt a truly horrible feeling. Those eyes were of powerful reluctance. Something he had to do, however had no will to do it.

"K-Kyou-nii?" He leaned forward into a run, just like before. He wanted to attack me.

When he rushed past me, he reached into my pocket and took out my rock. He knew it was my weak spot. Without it, I would do anything, anything at all, to get it back. It had led him to assume it is important to me.

Well, to me, let's just say, I die if it dies, it dies if I die.

"Kyou-nii, can you give that back, please?" He now wore a twisted, malicious smile on his face, and I didn't like that.

Why, why was his blood lust, his will to hurt and to kill, directed at me?

"The art of battle is also a way of venting one's feelings," he said, "Therefore, I'll bite you to death." I know he knows that he can't successfully bite me to death. I get it now, he wants me to vent the remaining anger I have onto him.

But, I can't do it. I can't hurt him any more than I did already. He's still in bandages, even though they're well hidden. I'll just have to take my possessions back.

But Kyou-nii, my as-if brother, had stolen from me.

I just can't let that pass.

I smiled, and leaned forward into a run, too. A slow one, so he wouldn't be too suspicious that I can do things better than a normal human can. I took back my rock and stopped my dash a few meters away from him.

"If that's how you want to play, Kyou-nii. If that's how you want to play." I went into the bushes to chain up my pacifier and my rock. I slipped them back into my pockets, now sealed and locked in my pockets. They were not emitting any power any more, and I will be able to fight Kyou-nii fairly.

"Kyou-nii, do you have an extra pair of tonfas I can borrow?" I asked coolly. I've finally been able to put up my barriers of numbness, and had no strong objections against fighting Kyou-nii anymore. It seems that Kyou-nii had bought an extra pair of tonfas, and he gave me the pair that were wrecked two nights ago.

I flared my blood lust, too, as Kyou-nii groomed his to grow even more. However, I've still not released the true, full potential of my blood lust, into the solid form of flame.

Simultaneously, we leaned forward into another dash towards each other, and prepared to clash metal with metal.

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Espér POV cont.

We leaned forward into another dash towards each other, and readied our tonfas.

_Tching!_

We ran past each other.

"Well, pretty good for a warm-up, Espér."

"You too, Kyou-nii."

Again, we leaned towards each other, and fell into another dash, another chance at hitting the opponent. _Tching. _Once again, we dashed. _Tching. _Pulse after pulse, the blood lust bounced off each of our tonfas, and spread around us, like the waves of seismic activity.

The pulse had no sound, however delivered a vibration that is like deafening silence. We ignored it.

_Tching. _I can tell the classrooms are being affected now. _Tching. Tching. _Doors opened. _Tching. _Students whispered and talked to one another as they filed out of the classrooms. _Tching. Tching._

Tsuna came out, followed by the rest of his Guardians, then the rest of the school. _Tching. _The Disciplinary Committee joined the mass of students and teachers as well. Still, we fought on. _Tching. Tching._

The pulse grew stronger. I know, I know, Kyou-nii. You don't like crowds. However, you cannot do anything this time. I'm sorry.

And now, the sound of metal meeting metal could no longer be heard; we had passed the sound barrier. I slightly nodded to Kyou-nii, signifying the end of the warm-up (for Kyou-nii, that is). Soon, nobody could see anything at all except the pulses, which had an edge of purple, or, rather, violet, and the sparks that jumped off our tonfas when they connected. We had passed the light barrier.

Tsuna and his three present Guardians were still silent, until Reborn showed up.

"Ciaossu!" Since I had no wish to move my focus, since it would insult Kyou-nii, I simply listened to the conversation.

"REBORN?!" Tsuna obviously said that.

"Oi, Dame-Tsuna. Watch them. You can fill another seat in your family with Espér."

"No, you mean _Espér _is fighting Hibari-san?!"

"Ah."

"Wow, that's EXTREMELY AMAZING!! SHE'S GOING TO JOIN THE BOXING CLUB!!" Definitely Ryohei, Sun Guardian.

"...why?" Someone random, someone I don't know.

"BECAUSE I'LL ASK HER!!"

"..."

"NO WAY, LAWN HEAD, SHE'S GOING TO BE PART OF JUUDAIME'S FAMILY, YOU IDIOT!!" I listened as quite a few students started gossiping about Tsuna having a crush on me... This is getting ridiculous. Hayato-nii, please control your mouth. You're going to cause some trouble. Someone finally had the courage to speak up against him.

"No, SHE'S MINE!"

"How dare you, you son of a b--" Some sizzling, and Tsuna, who tuned in to their conversation right on time, shouted, "Gokudera, no! Don't!"

As always, I knew Hayato retreated, gritting his teeth. All the while, Takeshi looked at us, with a happy-go-lucky smile plastered on his face.

"Dame-Tsuna, do you know anything of the _Uncompleted Vongola Rings?_" Reborn had spoken up once again.

"Hm?"

"The Uncompleted Vongola Rings."

"What're those?"

"It's a rumor that there were supposed to be 12 Guardians in total, and the other six are the Snow, the Hail, the Ice, the Drought, the Hurricane, and the Twister. They were not completed because the Guardians were wiped out for some unknown reason, and there was not one Guardian in those categories, ever, not in the past and not in the present. Maybe, for the first time, we can add an extra Guardian to the family. It is said that one person of beyond human power holds them. Well, here, it's already either Hibari or Espér." Ah, Reborn had that all figured out? Maybe Reborn had to press _that_ hard for the information from the Ninth. Poor guy.

"But, isn't Hibari Japanese? And Espér is wholly from Europe and I don't know much about her." Clue-less Tsuna.

"You are right, but Hibari has also been involved in the mafia when he was a child."

"EEHHH?! REALLY?!"

"Estreano, cousin to Espér-san here." All of a sudden, Tsuna was very frightened of me. For some reason, I can't tell why. Could it be that he's afraid of Kyou-nii? Well, that's the best guess I can make here, right now.

A few more minutes, a small part of the crowd took up a cheer for me, and a few others made a banner saying, "Espér, you can do it! Beat Hibari once and for all!"

When I passed Kyou-nii, I slightly shook my head. I wanted to stop. At such a high speed (for Kyou-nii), I can tell he's getting tired, and I wanted Kyou-nii to release his anger at the crowd, too. We stopped, making large depressions in the ground, and the pulses slowly slid to an end. Kyou-nii's blood lust was still flaring out, due to the cause of a crowd. He narrowed his eyes at them.

"I'll bite you all to death." The crowd immediately dispersed and went back to the classrooms, except a few students who did not obey, like the ones cheering for me, the ones who made the banner, and the ones who wanted me for themselves, not Tsuna. Even so, Tsuna and his three Guardians stayed in place, too. I faced the non-mafia students. When they saw what my face had told them, they had a horrid look of fear, and ran for it. I closed my eyes. It's not like me to scare away people. It's not like me to take on Kyou-nii. It's not like me to fight like this, in the inappropriate time and place.

I looked at the tonfas I had bought Kyou-nii long ago. It received a few more dents, however not as many as that night. I didn't feel better about this at all, this time. It had reminded me of painful memories of what I had done to my lying friends, the Vongola families, and the few I recognized that had actually decided to be kind to me.

I stole a glance at Kyou-nii. He was still standing, and hid the effects of fatigue very well. I decided to give him a chance to sleep a very deep sleep, one he hasn't had in a while. However, I also acknowledged the existence of the Vongola Tenth's family still there.

"You shouldn't be here. If you were to a day's worth of class like me, I'm not sure you can survive this type of sparring. And I shouldn't even mention what the penalty of half a school day is. You guys go. I'll take care of Kyou-nii. Okay?" I smiled.

"Sure," said Reborn, "Come on, let's go, guys." Tch. People can be so stupid sometimes. I made sure that they had gone out of sight, and I looked at Kyou-nii with the same reluctance he had me before.

"Kyou-nii, you're very tired. I want you to sleep. I want you to rest, okay?" I leaned forward once again, and sprung forth my blood lust into the crystal flame I have, and I knocked him into the stadium wall about a hundred meters from where Kyou-nii was, exactly as I wanted to, so he will finally sleep the full eight hours. The wall caved in and fell into a crumpled heap of reinforced concrete on the grass.

"Good night, Kyou-nii. I have a few lessons to catch, so I'll see you later!" More like a few lessons to catch up on for my student, that is. The problem is, how am I going to hide this until Onii-san finally remembers? Ten years is a long time for that...

Oh well, it'll be easy... I'll only have to erase a few... Twist a few... Manipulate a few...

Author's note: Yes, once again, this is an unusual spot to place an author's note, but I HAVE DONE SO ANYWAYS!! Well, good work for five days of school in the fanfic... MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURDAY AND FRIDAY, they are all here in my story, excluding the prologues and flashbacks. I have no conformation of those dates, therefore they are not included with a weekday label. If you prefer it, yoiu may reread the text and count the days. You should end up with five, else you are having a few problems forgetting what that number was again... IF YOU DO, WELCOME TO THE GROUP!! I, too, have a few problems to forgetting some information, so please correct me if I have mistaken something. Thank you!

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Well, here concludes my 11th chapter!!

The only one I thought good enough to leave as it is, and not break it apart! THE 3200-word chapter!!

Hooray!!

Don't forget to review/alert/fave me! Remember, there's the virtual orange pineapples!

ORANGE PINEAPPLES, I said!!

FREE ORANGE PINEAPPLES!!


	14. Act 12: Fling to the Future

Hey, everyone!!

I'm so happy that I have actually made it to the 12TH CHAPTER!!

YAIZ!!

Anyways, I don't own KHR and I wish all of you to READ AND REVIEW/ALERT/FAVE the story!!

Enjoy...

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Espér POV

It was a Saturday, now. No school for two days. Well, what am I to do? I'd better start searching for my bag, my contract, and my MP3 player... Thing is, something's going to happen.

I've known for so long that something's going to happen today. I think my student's ready with the exact locations, and all I have to do is to wait. Wait and be ready when I am.

Be ready to start the invasion, the fight for Vongola's last chance for survival, ten years in the future.

_Get a Ten-Year Bazooka,_ I told him,_ Come to my apartment at ten on Saturday this week to check on me beforehand. If I have been changed, and I am hurt, take me immediately to the Cavallone medial center. Also bring my rock and my pacifier if present. If I had to go there, don't tell anyone. I wouldn't like everyone worried, especially Kyou-nii. Dino would work things out. If I am not injured, take me along for assistance on the plan. Follow Reborn. Make sure he cannot escape being hit by the bazooka set off by Lambo. Tsuna will follow suit in the next few days, and after he goes, wait a bit. Hayato-nii will come running back to Tsuna's house. Hit him. After another day, hit Takeshi, Kyoko, Haru, and the two children all at once. Don't worry, the Bazooka is stretchable. A month or two later, hit Kyou-nii, and you may follow suit a bit later._

I just hope I can see Onii-san soon. Soon, soon. It was around nine on the clock. I sighed. So long, world of the present time. I shall see you in two month's time, most likely longer. I took my rock and my pacifier and chained them. I put them on my desk, so it will be easily visible when he comes in. And I sat there, taking in the details of my room, savoring this moment. I would never have such a cozy room here on Earth, ever again. Let's just hope that I'll still have it when I come back.

_If _I come back.

I put my face in my hands. What if Kyou-nii and Onii-san and Hayato-nii and Takeshi and-and everyone were dead in the future? What if they had been taken captive of the Cervello and would use them as bait to punish me? No. I have the power to _change things. _Otherwise, there'd be no reason for us to go into the future anyways.

I went to my refrigerator. I'll get some cheese cake to cheer me up. A slice? Yea, a slice. Not too much. I'll leave some out for him to take, too. I took out the box and plopped onto the sofa. I cut a wedge and set aside the rest of it on the little table I put in front of the couch. Mmm... This is really good... I'm glad I'm born French, else I won't know how to make this...

I finished the cheesecake and knew it was time. I could feel the barriers of space weaken; this is the strong power I'll have in the future? Well, this is sure exciting. I shut my eyes and jumped over the cliff of time-space continuum.

The only thing I could feel next, in the future, was pain and darkness. It's nighttime here? Or is it... Ah! It hurts! What is it? It's like my life being sucked out of myself. How could I have done something so powerful in this type of situation? Soon, I could no longer move around, and blackness took over me. The last thing I saw was my rock and my pacifier on a platform a few meters away from me, in the darkness, shattered. _Both of them._

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Irie Suoichi sat at his desk, in front of the gigantic project that held the generator, and the power behind Byakuran. The project of time travel. He had his headphones on, from the bag he had taken from the street ten years ago.

Then, he hadn't thought of listening to the songs on that mysterious MP3 player, since the names were so weird and unusual. He had taken the Headphones and the contract, nothing else. He glanced at the screen in front of him.

He stared at it for a long time. Some static and a glitch. _Aw... great, it's another glitch. Ever since we put her in here, there were so many glitches... Only when we smashed those two things that the glitches stopped... Ah, why is there _another _glitch, then?_

_Whatever, it's over already, anyways. _Suoichi gave a little smirk and listened in to his own MP3 player on the outstanding headphones that previously belonged to the girl that had been shoved inside that generator.

(Song lyrics slightly changed, so it'll sound more like what's being said. I do not own this song. Caramell does, and the Speedycake Remix is also part of Speedycake's.)

(Xxxx...music...xxxX)

_Vi undrar ar ni redo atte vara me-d_

_Armarna unu ska ni fau se_

_Kom miguen_

_Vem som hels an vara med_

_Sa rek pa era fotter_

_Oa-a-a!_

_Och vicka era hoftiea_

_O-la-la-la!_

_Iour som vi_

_Ee denna melodi_

_O-o-oa-oa..._

_Dansa mede o_

_Kappa eda hander_

_Iour som vi ioursa_

_Ta lagora steg a vansta_

_Lyss nao lai_

_Missa inte cklia-sansan_

_Ni ar vi char me-d_

_CARAMELLDANSEN!!_

_O-o-oa-oa._

_O-o-oa-oa-ao._

_O-o-oa-oa._

_O-o-oa-oa-ao..._

(Song to be continued in the far, far future...)

Suoichi thinks that Swedish songs like these are cute, and he put them on his MP3 player.

...?

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Back in the Past...

Mukuro materialized in front of Espér's doorway. _Hm. It's ten already. But there's nothing moving inside. What happened?_

"Kufufufu... I wonder what the girl looks like in the future..." Mukuro said to himself. The door next to Espér's opened.

"WILL YOU SHUT UP?!?! I'M TRYING TO DO MY FINANCIA-" The boy with silver hair stopped. "Oh, it's you. Why are you here anyways? And why in the world are you standing in Espér's doorway?" Mukuro raised his eyebrow in the amused face he always wore.

"So you do your financial paperwork by yourself? Kufufu... To see the octo-head doing finance in his apartment..." Gokudera twitched in annoyance.

"Why. Are. You. Here."

"Well I'm sure your Juudaime's hungry now. Reborn _always_ steals his breakfast. Oh, and by the way, he likes Yatsuhashi." Mukuro grinned, "Now, run along, child, before I get angry!" He twirled around his trident. When Gokudera did not move, Mukuro dragged him out to a store that sold Yatsuhashi and went back to Espér's door. He opened it and saw...

Espér. A thirteen-year-old Espér lying on the floor. She did not move, but Mukuro heard small gasps of breathing.

"Sensei! A-are you alright?"

"M-Mu-Muku-kuro... You're finally here..." She closed her eyes and softly whispered, "You remember what I said to you? I hope you haven't forgotten. I'll have to leave this world if you don't, and the Vongola will fall to pieces, so will the rest of the mafia, then the world. However, the world shall not be a sea of red; it shall be a sea of gray." She sighed.

"When Kyou-nii comes, make sure he'll be in my room. He will rampage if he isn't." Mukuro acknowledged her soft voice and picked her up. And he teleported.

The dark alley they came to was small and cold. Mukuro, however, strode quickly to Dino's Cavallone hospital.

"Dino."

"Hey!" Dino walked up, however stiffly.

"What's up with you, Cavallone?"

"Eh... You know... Anyways, it isn't like you to come to this place. What fo-" Dino looked at the girl in his arms.

"Ah."

"Espérer-san needs medical attention, quick."

"On it. Romario, get this girl a room! On the double!" Romario nodded and strode off purposely through the double doors to the main office.

"Let's get the girl on a bed, will you?" added Dino. A bed was presented, and Espér was placed in it. Then, she was rolled off to her room.

"So, that's it, Mukuro?"

"Yea... I need to get back to the Vendiche cell fast, before I'm noticed." And with that, he disappeared. Dino looked at Espér. _She's sort of familiar, some how..._

_And why in the world did I actually do what I was told by Rokudo Mukuro?_

Meanwhile, Mukuro thought, as he came back to the cell, _Well, that conversation was a bit awkward... Maybe Kuro-sama dealt him with a little justice... Heh._

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"LAMBO, Give it to me!" shouted Tsuna.

"Nyahahah, you're not going to get it!!"

"LAMBO!!"

"WAAHH, the Bazooka!"

_Pop. _In the midst of the pink smoke, a brown blur dashed to the side.

_I can't be seen. For the sake of her, I can't be seen, not yet. _It ran and jumped out the window, to the neighbor's yard. The Chihuahua in the yard started barking rapidly. The month-old light Chocolate Retriever puppy made for the gate, and squeezed through. However, he had been running so fast that he hadn't the time to stop when he collided with a certain silver-haired adult.

Gokudera was kneeling, previously sitting before his Boss ten years ago, and after a few seconds, a young puppy had collided with him. The puppy thought, _Who-who is this... Ah, could it be... Gokudera-dono?!?!_

"JUUDAIME!!!" Gokudera had turned into the personality of his 10 years ago counterpart. The puppy thought, _Isn't it supposed to be Gokudera-dono to hug me only when I've finished my missions? Such a childish Storm Guardian... I need to fix that one day..._

Who knew that Gokudera had actually been hugging Giotto, the Vongola Primo? Who knew that the Primo had been referring to the Gokudera in _his _life, the first Storm Guardian? Who knew that Gokudera was actually right for the first time, to recognize without flaw that this was his rightful Juudaime?

However, let us follow the chronological order that of the young Sawada Tsunayoshi and see his life the order he has. However, I must show you a few things before we go that way.

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An Extremely Long Time Later _also in the Past_....

Reborn had disappeared. Tsuna had disappeared. Gokudera had disappeared. Yamamoto had disappeared. Kyoko, Haru, I-pin, and Lambo have all gone, too. Hibari stared at the blue sky, decorated with the occasional cloud.

_Ah, but I haven't seen Espér yet. Has she disappeared as well?_ Hibari was worried about her. He frowned. _Nah, she can do anything. I'm sure she can do a lot more things I can do..._

"Hibari-san."

"What is it?" he asked irritably.

"We've found Espér-san." Hibari sat up.

"Really." Hibari narrowed his eyes. He could not tolerate jokes right now. Kusakabe looked troubled and replied:

"She's-she's in the Cavallone hospital, and she's barely breathing, I really think you should go check on her." However, the Cloud Guardian was way ahead of him. He had already gotten up and sped down the stairs, on the way to his destination.

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"Dino."

"Hibari." Their greetings were always strained.

"I'm here to see Espérer, and move out of my way. I need the room number."

"This way." Their conversations were always strained, too.

As the door swung open, Hibari saw Espér in the white hospital bed, surrounded with an assortment of machines. The heart beat rate stood at a low 23 beats a minute, displayed on a screen of one of the machines. Hibari stepped in, and Dino shut the door and left.

He looked out the window at the beautiful weather outside and then at Espér once again.

_What happened? She looks older than before. She's wearing clothes I've never seen before, and they're singed at the edges. What happened to her? _He looked at the records on the table beside her.

_Mukuro had taken her here? Dam--it, he's done something to Espér. _He looked at Espér in the face, took her hand, and promised her, "I'll personally wreck and bite to death the person who did this to you, I promise."

If he hadn't imagined it, he was sure, as he left the room, that she gave him a small, weak smile, full of gratitude, and a soft:

"Thanks, Kyou-nii."

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Back to the Future! (Also the name of a movie, so sorry I took it, it does not belong to me.)

Mukuro looked at Byakuran. He stared at him for quite a while, smile quite evident on his face.

"This is the moment when I possess you."

"Shall we enjoy an after-meal workout, then?" They smiled, and Rokudo Mukuro released his box.

-_Byakuran better be useful... I need to find Sensei... Only if she were here._

_-Rokudo Mukuro-kun, you don't know anything about _that_, nor me. I'll have some fun here. _

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R-Roku-Rokudo Muku-kuro... It looks as if I've been thrown into the future... Well, this-this had been your last battle. I'll see you again properly, in Hell. Good luck, my student.

_Sensei!_

"This room is surrounded by a unique barrier which they say, doesn't let any type of thought pass through, let alone electromagnetic waves like light or electrical energy. Can you believe that?" Byakuran can be fearsome at times...

No, Rokudo Mukuro. He's lying. Of course, you can't leave, but I have power to transmit thought to you. I am the source, therefore, some characteristics are kept. I'm glad I can see you again, though, Rokudo Mukuro. Good-good bye...

"You don't have the Vongola Ring, so I have no interest in you. It's time for you to receive a true death."

_No, it can't be! No!_

Baka-Mukuro. Would you really believe him? He's really using all the power he's sucked out of me. No more thought transmission, though Mukuro could almost feel the pain and torcher as Byakuran took even more out of her to deliver the finishing blow on her student.

_NO, SENSEI!! KURO-SAMA!! Hah... I'll get revenge on you, Byakuran, when I come back._

ililililililililililililililililililililililililililililililililililililililililil

"Fufufu... Rokudo Mukuro was a truly talented man... I'll have to praise his teacher for putting up with him for so long..."

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Tsuna looked at Spanner inquisitively.

"I told you, you've done it. You're done. Finished."

"No, I'm not done, Spanner. It still needs fixing."

"I'd say you're finished. You've perfected the X Burner, and I say you're done. All you have to do is to get to that Suoichi and his oh-so-great machinery."

"No, I-"

"He's right, Tsuna." Tsuna looked at Reborn with a raised eyebrow.

"You can't stay here any longer. You can't afford to be attacked right now. Plus, you have to get back to everyone else and check on them. You can't break through all the Millifore's forces alone."

_Crash._

"So we've got some company now. Spanner, finish those contacts. I'll delay them." Tsuna readies himself against the new opponent.

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In the Past...

Hibari sat up, in the midst of pink smoke. _So I'm taken to the past now? Heh, Genkishi's in for a surprise. Well, I'd better get going. Ah, that hurts. Where's Kusakabe?_

"H-Hibari-san! Are you alright? And when have you put on that suit??" _Nice timing, Kusakabe._

"No complaints, Kusakabe. I would like to see Espér in the hospital again...?"

"Very well, Hibari-sama. However, I advise you yourself to go stay in the hospital as well..." Hibari glared at Kusakabe.

"Eheh... Well I'd rather not bother you with that then..." Hibari stood up rather shakily and sprinted down the steps. _I'd break this body if I have to, to see Espér. Being held by the Millifore is painful, according to the sources from that bast-- Mukuro._

_Only if that wuss Dino would stop being an herbivore. I'd like to make this quick._

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THE FUTURE!!...

A few hours later, Tsuna, who was heavily injured but was healed up a bit by a somewhat weak Ryohei. The family has joined together once again, and Ryohei now had Lal Mirch on his back, considering the Non-Trinisette rays. Everyone else was a little healed up as well; Yamamoto's head no longer bled, Gokudera's a little less covered in wounds, Ryohei himself regained some of his EXTREME, Hibari no longer trailed in the back of the group, and Chrome's bruises were treated. Even Mukuro was hit with the Bazooka, and joined the battle. The only Guardian by far not hit by the Bazooka was Ryohei, and also the only one in a suit. Kusakabe, along with Lambo and Ipin, also joined the battle...

Most of the Millifore with the Mare Rings were defeated; that is, except Byakuran and Irie Suoichi. As reported by Dino in Italy.

As the seven raced down the corridors and slammed open doors in their way, they met up with a voice and it's owner, standing before the last door.

"Ah, Tsuna. You've come, even with your little family! I've been looking forward to your presence."

"Irie Suoichi." Tsuna glared at the Millifore Captain.

"If you're looking for your friend, Rokudo Mukuro, Boss had already burnt his body," said Suoichi with a wicked, twisted smile. Tsuna was horrified that the high school student he had seen before in the past would turn into this type of monster.

"That was my older side, Suoichi."

"Ah, so Mukuro is here, too? My, my, my. This is getting a little interesting, eh?" The wicked smile crept back to his lips. Hibari twitched. _Only _I _get to smile like that, Herbivore._

"We only wish to pass. We can battle you later on." This time, Ryohei spoke.

"Oh, Vongola, are you underestimating me? Your pearl I have under control. You don't want me to hurt it, do you?"

"..."

"Oh, a Boss who does not know his duty?" Irie smiled, ever so similar to Byakuran. "Ever since you, the Boss, died, Kuro-san was covering up for you, as the Eleventh. We've captured her... And what are you going to do about that, I wonder? The least of what you should know is that the pearl is the clam's treasure; under no circumstances can it loose it's most powerful fighting force." He grinned so evilly, as he thought to himself, _They should have the brains to know that the _whole_ operation isn't in Japan._

Tsuna gritted his teeth. _So Kuro is here? How come? And how did she get involved? Didn't she nearly take down the whole mafia before? How could she not fight back in this time? When did she become part of the Vongola?_

"And guess what, Vongola? You're all good as dead meat, since I've taken all of your rings."

"What? They were destroyed!" snapped Gokudera.

"Tch. Even though you still have yours, I've taken all of _the rest of _your rings, including the _Unfinished Sets._ Boss has it now." The Vongola invaders gritted their teeth.

"Grr... YOU-"

"Gokudera, no. Don't do anything reckless. We are to return _alive_ and safe in the past. Anyways, he could be lying. Remember, he's a captain, and probably one of the better ones. _Be careful._"

"Y-Yes, Juudaime."

"Well, should we get started then." Irie Suoichi took out his Mare Ring, flickering in a flame of yellow. _A Sun flame? _thought Tsuna.

"Gokudera, Yamamoto. Let's do this."

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w00t! Another more-than-3000-words chapter!!

xD

Well, I AM CURRENTLY GIVING OUT FREE VIRTUAL ORANGE PINEAPPLES!! AND I NEED A SECONDARY BETA READER!! PM/REVIEW ME IF YOURE INTERESTED AND TELL ME IN THE MESSAGE!!

THANK YOU SO MUCH, EVERYONE!!

sayo-desu!!

PS: Ohh, I think I let out more than i had wanted to.... so watch for major changes in the rewrite. xD

Have an awesum daay!~

xDD


	15. Act 13: Revenge

CIAO and here I am, for the THIRTEENTH CHAPTER!!! YAIZ!!!

XD

Sorry for updating late... as usual.

xD

I don't own KHR, but I WANT IT SO BADLY!!!

xD

Well, enjoy!

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Gokudera, Yamamoto, and Tsuna took their rings and lighted them with their attribute flames. Ryohei nodded, taking the signal to sneak past them into the room with the mysterious machinery.

"Well, it _is _going to be refreshing to battle you again, Decimo. However, it's a little mean for you to go three-on-one."

"I thought your ten-year extra experience was good enough, or is it not?" Tsuna raised an eyebrow, now in Hyper Dying Will Mode. Irie snickered.

"Do you want me to go easy or not, Vongola?"

"Is there a choice?"

"Isn't there, Vongola?" Irie Suoichi sent out his box. It was a pair of golden female deer, leaping in the air and prancing about in a whirl of beauty. "I call them Gli Angeli Gemellati di Inferno, or the Twin Angels of Hell." To himself, he thought, _It's actually _Anges Jumeaux de L'enfer_, a French original by my teacher. These kids from ten years ago wouldn't even be able to stand against it. And it's even my sub box... My main one, _Calabatés_, would definitely silence the children if my sub doesn't..._

Yamamoto let out his swallow, and Gokudera took out Uri. Tsuna, who was without a box, eased into his gloves and started off examining the box animals.

Irie made the first move. Stretching his hand out, he ordered the deer to attack together. They started toward Gokudera.

Meanwhile, Gokudera had been readying up his Sistema C.A.I. with Uri. Yamamoto rushed in to cover for him.

"Baseball idiot, GET OUT OF THE WAY!!!" Yamamoto only smiled.

"You know well enough that I'm stubborn, Gokudera." His swallow floated in front of him, and Yamamoto readied his Shigure Kintoki to strike. As the swordsman struck, Tsuna propelled himself through the air to Irie.

As the two Guardians fought the opposing box animals and Ryohei and the rest sneaked ever so carefully to the entrance to the research room, Tsuna had to deal with Irie himself.

"You don't seem like a very athletic person, I'll tell you that now." Irie bit his lip at Tsuna's remark. Tsuna chuckled.

"Just because I have a Sun flame doesn't mean I have to be able to do martial arts." Tsuna was smirking at Irie's words.

"Tch. You're probably not very good with words, either." Tsuna chuckled again. This made the Millifore captain mad. Irie Suoichi decided to release his Calabatés.

"Oh, you'll regret those words, Vongola, just like the time you'll be regretting your death. The death I had created myself. Prepare thee for the ideal carnivore, Calabatés. 'Tis the reason I've been Byakuran's most reliable and strongest, the _right-hand man._" The Sun flame leaped up from the ring once again, and Irie held up a beautiful box. He had a crazed smile on his lips when he released the creature within.

Author's Note: Calabatés is pronounced either sa-la-`ba-tee(s/z), ka-la-ba-`tei, or ka-la-`ba-teis.

Tsuna widened his eyes. _I died by him?? Right-hand man to Byakuran? Calabatés? _However, he had no time left to think; Calabatés was a lion, its mane large and shining in gold.

There was something wrong with it. Just _something. _Tsuna just can't quite place what it is. By the time he found out, however, it could have been too late. What saved him were the remains of something he never expected to exist in this time.

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Ryohei, Lal Mirch, Mukuro, Chrome, Hibari, Kusakabe, Lambo, and Ipin had to sneak into the research room. That wasn't easy at all.

The door required a finger scan, an eye scan, a password, and a voice check. They thought and thought. Ryohei suggested to use his kangaroo to beat the door. Rejected. Lal Mirch thought of blasting it with flames and boxes. Rejected. Kusakabe thought of simply using raw force to break the door. Rejected again.

The one with the true brains was Lambo, for a change. He was dancing around, holding a hand grenade from the mess of his afro.

"Nyahahaha!!! Me, Lambo, the MOST SUPREME AND AWESOMEST RULER OF THE WORLD, will BLOW AWAY the door!!! Nyahahahahaha!!!"

"Yea... that's right. We can blow the door... to pieces..." agreed Chrome. Mukuro and Hibari were silent. Lambo had pulled the trigger and threw the explosive. Instinctively, Chrome had put up a barrier to shield the group from the blast. Irie looked backwards at the eight and advanced. He was blocked by a weary Tsuna. The lion jumped up at an attempt to bite Tsuna. Hibari sighed.

"I'll take care of this..." His ring released a powerful burst of violet flame. He looked around, assessing the condition of the three. Yamamoto was knocked out by the deer, and Gokudera seemingly had been covered in large bite marks, bite marks curiously not that of Uri or any creature's at all, except the one in front of him.

Hibari smirked. _This isn't going to be hard at all. After that appetizer Genkishi, this is like dessert. And there's still room for revenge..._

His form disappeared into the air, and Irie Suoichi's body suddenly was being bruised and bashed. There was no visible attacker; Hibari was using the same technique as with Espérer's sparring: faster-than-light lean-and-strike. The pulses echoed in the room, deafening, yet at the same time, silent. Tsuna was silent; he hadn't seen this technique from start to finish before.

A few short minutes later, Hibari held a fiercely bleeding Shuoichi by the collar and thrust him against the wall.

"I'm sure you'll do what I say, herbivore, since I'll bite you to death if you don't." Irie franticly nodded his head.

"Good." A smile crept up to Hibari's lips. "Now, I want you to open up that generator, like a good boy, and not to call for anyone. I'll appreciate it if you return Espér's headphones, too." Irie gasped.

"N-n-n-n-no-no-no-no-no-no, that's not right..." Irie Shuoichi chuckled nervously. "I th-th-thought you said that m-my-my headphones were E-E-Espé-Espér's."

"They are." Hibari dangerously grinned. "And if you don't return them, I guess we know what's going to happen, don't we?" He turned on his poison drawl in the midst of that sentence.

"I-I think I'll re-return them, then..."

"Good boy, Irie..." Hibari let go of the redheaded man, who swiftly walked to the research room with Hibari right behind him. The others filed into the room, some carrying the unconscious. As Irie sat at the screen's keyboard typing in a long and tedious code, the Vonogla invaders looked at the magnificent machinery before them. It was circular with other components inside.

"Also, another thing. You, Irie Shuoichi, are going to tell us _all_ about this generator and _everything_ about Byakuran."

"E-Everything??"

"Yeah, everything." Irie cursed under his breath. Something directed the group to the generator, though. The outer cover was being opened.

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As the outer cover opened up, it revealed a cannon-shaped thing in it. That was opened as well, and inside was a pile of ashes.

_Ashes. Everyone came here, having a hunch that that round machine had the solution to returning home, and found out in the end that they had come for ashes. Ashes were in the generator, and that was it. Ashes._

A few others had jumped to conclusions, though. Hibari and Mukuro had immediately thought, _It's Kuro. Kuro-sama has been killed and burned to crisp. Or is that Mukuro's body? No, it should still be in Italy... It probably is Kuro's or Espér's._

Gokudera thought, _What, what, WHAT?!?! I won't forgive them for wasting Juudaime's time! Not for me, I won't!_

"Explain," growled Hibari.

"I'm sure you'd love to explain, Suoichi." Mukuro's grin became the widest it has ever been at all, and his eyes shimmered at the thought of another victim.

"Ah, eh, the generator – i-it's an alternate source for our Mare R-Rings. And the ashes are the indirect p-power source. The real power source is in Italy, in a duplicate of this machine. T-The a-ashes are the r-re-remains of the first s-six Vongola Rings." Irie cowered, obviously foreseeing the hate and physical hurt that would be cast on him.

"What, I wonder, is the real power source, _Irie?_" Mukuro is now at his mouth's limit, restraining himself to keep his manners.

"Eh... I-I don't think it's a g-g-good idea to te-"

"You really wish for a painful death, do you?" Mukuro smiled, amusement displayed on his face.

"N-n-n-n-no..."

"Then tell us."

"I-i-i-it's K-K-K-Ku-Kur-Ku-r-ro-s-s-sa-sam-sa-sam-am-ma-a..." He cowered again.

"Ah, you're really dead now, Irie Suoichi." Rokudo Mukuro grabbed Irie by the scruff to the other room for some punishment to be dealt.

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Meanwhile, Tsuna was sitting in the corner of the room, since he was heavily injured. At the opening of the generator and the revealing of the ashes, Tsuna started hearing things. Hearing thoughts.

_It hurts... a... lot..._

_I wonder, if I can get some help here... No..._

_It's impossible._

"_Hoi, Byakuran, I'm sure you want someone to fight sometime?" Whip crack._

_Dino-nii-sama, Dino-dono? You're here for me? No, I don't think so. After Tsuna and Reborn, he's going for nothing but Byakuran's fall. Be careful, he has techniques he stole from me._

_Onii-sama, Dino-dono, Kyou-nii, Tsuna-nii, just _someone, _help..._

_Daisukide..._

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"... Italy." Everyone looked toward Tsuna.

"Juudaime, what is it?" His hair blocked his eyes, but he suddenly flicked his eyes upward, to Gokudera.

"We're going to Italy." Tsuna's eyes, for the first time, showed _revenge. _Everyone cowered at the thought of Tsuna _wanting _to hurt, with an exception of Hibari and Mukuro, who had left the room to beat Irie Shuoichi to Hell.

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They broke through the levels of guards at each entrance, taking turns to each encounter. Expecting reinforcements from Italy to come, they hurried back to the Vongola base. In they rushed as quickly they can, blood carefully wiped away and all traces erased.

"Ah. Tsuna, Yamamoto, Gokudera. You're all back."

"Reborn, does the Vongola have a private jet?"

"Tsuna, what are you-"

"_Do we have a private jet, Reborn?_"

"Hai."

"Good. We need to leave immediately for Italy. Also, do we have a base there?"

"A small one for the Vongola, but we can stay at Dino's base for a while too. But I need you to tell me what exactly is going on, Dame-Tsuna. You could be walking straight into a trap. I'm hoping you're not going to march straight into the Millifore headquarters, do you?" Tsuna had no answer.

"Also, you guys are all beat up. If you march straight into the Millifore, it's like dangling free meat to a dog. You'll get certain death."

"I don't care. They are leeching off power from people, and I'm not letting that slide."

"Ah... technology somewhat related to the Gola Mosca and the Straus Mosca... impressive..."

"No, Reborn. They are leeching off people's life, to power their Mare Rings." Reborn jumped and kicked Tsuna squarely in the head, knocking him out. He said:

"Dame-Tsuna. I know what you mean, but that doesn't mean throwing away your life in return of a_ chance_ for someone else to live on."

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Tsuna and his family were dragged down to the -21st floor in the basement, and shown the Vongola jet. It wasn't much; the mafia is in war, and large airplanes were rather large targets as well. Tsuna, Gokudera, and Yamamoto were given a tour, after being bandaged, of course.

The front held the pilot's steering gear, along with navigation technologies and radio with the ground. Then came the door, followed by a hallway in the middle of the plane. The hallway then branched out into rooms; on the left side were, from front to back, the entertainment room, the kitchen, dining room, Mukuro/Chrome's room, Ryohei's room, and Yamamoto's room. On the right, there is a lounge, meeting room, Hibari's room, Lambo's room, and Gokudera's room. At the far end was Tsuna's room. Each room was quite spacious, which is really amazing to be able to fit into the tiny aircraft.

The entertainment room had the top-of-the-line entertainment systems. TV, DVD player, CD media player, game consoles, they were all there. Aside from them, a table was placed in the room, along with a few chairs. Moving on. The lounge held sofas and couches, tables, coffee tables, chairs, and even a little bar, which had powders to different drinks and assorted ingredients for beverages. The bar had blenders, coffeemakers, smoothie makers, ice cream makers, juicers, nearly every single type of kitchen mechanism possibly ever made. The kitchen was what anyone might expect of one; pots, pans, refrigerators, stoves, ovens, microwaves, kitchen utensils, knives, barbecue forks, spoons, ladles, spices, raw food, ingredients, food products, and other things I did not mention yet. The meeting room contained a long table with large chairs on each end and on the sides. Nothing special, since that room usually wasn't used for the correct purpose. Usually, if the dining room was being used, people would go to this room to eat. The dining room also had a long table with chairs on every side. The bedrooms were all similar to each other; one four-poster bed, closet, bathroom, two mini-tables, a comfortable chair, another, larger table, and a second closet, this time with a mirror.

Tsuna asked, "Where will everyone else stay in though? There's only space for the Guardians and me."

"Don't worry, I had extra rooms put in the upper deck and lower deck," answered the weapon tuner.

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That night at dinner, a few of his Guardians retreated to their rooms due to their injures, such as Yamamoto, Gokudera, Ryohei, Lambo, and Mukuro. Hibari, however, decided to dine where he wanted, away from everyone else. Therefore, Tsuna hadn't anyone to talk to about the mafia aside from Reborn. (Bianchi has to tend to injuries.) Haru and Kyoko were a bit worried about Tsuna and his friends going out to the night and returning bleeding from head to toe.

"Haru, Kyoko, a-are you guys alright?"

"We're fine."

"Hahi! No, it's nothing!! We're perfectly alright!"

"Okay..." Tsuna was unsure. To tell the truth, he was unsure about a lot of things. When he would return to the past, for example. Who sent them back? He had a hunch it was someone in the Millifore, preferably Irie, since he was researching time. He wasn't sure, though. Also, what earphones? Or headphones? Didn't Shuoichi say they were Espér's? How does he know Espér? How did he get those headphones? Where is the Millifore headquarters, exactly? Will they be able to break into there? What is the exact date? Nobody has told him so far... Why were they sent to the future? Why does Shuoichi have Espér's headphones? Why, why are there things being hidden from him?

"Okay, Haru, Kyoko. We are going to Italy, whether you like it or not. It's important, and I hope you don't object."

"Eh? Tsuna-kun, isn't that a little sudden?"

"Emergency."

"Hahi! I'm going to Italy with Tsuna-san!!" Haru visibly blushed.

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On the plane everyone found their rooms and settled in. Gianinni readied everything, from food and water to Tsuna's contacts and Uri. Uri, for some reason, was clawing more than usual now. Gokudera worked harder than ever to get it out of his hair. Tsuna laughed more, and Gokudera apologized at an amazing new rate. Everyone moved in their stuff to their respective rooms.

By next morning, everyone was set. Not one injury was worth worrying about right now, since Ryohei had already healed them. Everything was packed, and Fuuta and Bianchi agreed to stay behind to look after the base. Gianinni was the only one who knew how to fly a plane, anyways. At 10 AM, Tsuna, Gokudera, Yamamoto, Ryohei, Chrome, Hibari, Lal Mirch, and Reborn were all buckled into their chairs at the meeting room. Lambo, I-Pin, Haru, and Kyoko were secured in Kyoko's room. Giannini's voice filtered through the speakerphone as he prepared to liftoff.

Soon the windows brightened and sent in fresh sunlight through the bulletproof windows. Everyone took off their seatbelts and went to do whatever they wanted. Hibari was first, to no one's surprise. He simply got up and left, shutting the door behind him. Until they landed, not a single person had seen hair nor hide of him. Chrome left as well, taking her place in the lounge and sitting as quietly as possible. Ryohei left for his room and shut the door behind him. Lal Mirch abruptly stood up and hurried to the kitchen. Reborn followed her, evidently being hungry as well. Lambo and I-Pin roared down the hallway, with Kyoko and Haru trailing behind. They all filed into the entertainment room. Gokudera, Yamamoto, and Tsuna stood up from their seats last of all.

"Juudaime, what do you think we should do? It's going to be about... ehh... 10 or so hours until we get to Italy."

"We are cruising at about 2750 km/h with a 250 km/h tailwind. So, we are going at about 3000 km/h and we are likely to arrive in Italy by one," crackled Gianinni.

"So are we going to get to Italy at one or at eight?" Yamamoto chuckled and scratched his head, as usual. Head-slaps came from both Tsuna and Gokudera.

"Okay... um, we can rest a bit since we'll have to be ready by the time we get to Italy. I'm going to my room..." Tsuna smiled reassuringly.

"Anything Juudaime says!" Gokudera cheerfully retreated to his room. Yamamoto did the same, except with a "See you later, Tsuna" and a wave. Tsuna opened the door, flung himself on the bed, and closed his eyes. The next time those eyes awoke, about two and a half hours later, the plane had entered Italian land – with a very, very big problem.

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When Tsuna awoke, he first saw only red velvet. There was a hand on his back, rubbing and shaking him.

"Juudaime... Juudaime.... Hello? Juudaime. Hoi, Juudaime, we're in Italy.... Juudaime?" Tsuna grumbled, wanting to sleep more. But, nevertheless, he got up. When his feet touched the floor, he felt irregular thumps.

Tsuna rubbed his eyes. "Gokudera, we're in Italy? What's the, ah, the thumping...?"

"Erm... Juudaime... I think we're going to be crash-landing in a few minutes, so you better get ready for the impact..." Tsuna's eyes shot open.

"EEHHH?! WHAT?!" Tsuna rushed out of his room and to Giannini. To his surprise, the room was already packed – Yamamoto was manning the second pilot's seat, with Lal Mirch and Reborn watching in silence. No one else was allowed to crowd around, courtesy to Hibari.

"Ah, Tsuna! Eehhh... there's something a little off, so we'll be landing rather quickly and awkwardly..."

The sky flew out of view as the forest below them came into view through the windows. Luckily, there was a clearing they would be landing in. Unluckily, there was a really large building occupying most of the clearing.

The building zoomed in. The glass walls came into clear focus, as did the eastern and western wings' entrances. Glass shattered. Metal screeched. Shouts of surprise and fear echoed around the hallway in the plane.

_Crash. Thump. Bang. Bang. Crash. Thump. _And then there was a final thud as the plane reached ground level.

The shaken Gianinni explained, "The outer cover of the jet's walls, as well as the paint, is very strong. It can withstand many forces against it. However, I'm afraid I don't know how it survived _this _disaster..."

"We better go outside and look around..." said Reborn.

"No... wait. This building..." started Ryohei.

"Yup. I know, Ryohei." Lal Mirch also seemed to have been here.

"It's the Millifore headquarters."

"Big, _big _problem here...."

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"Since I still haven't seen a soul out there, even when we crash-landed, I vote we go outside and look around." Reborn, after any amount of years, he's still the same, stubborn Arcobaleno...

"Well, I'm not so sure..." Tsuna didn't want to go out in a wreck alone. Well, you can't blame him. According to Fuuta, he's the most cowardly Mafioso in the world. (NO! I'm _not _Mafioso!)

"Then I'll kick you out."

"I really think we should go outside anyways, since we still have to check out the damage and figure out if we can still fly..." Gianinni thought aloud.

"Okay, then. As much as I'd hate to go out there, I'll go, but I'll take Tsuna and the Guardians, too."

"Fine with me, Reborn." Lal was content, though she wanted to go herself.

"Sure." Gianinni agreed.

"Actually, I'll go too." Lal found her courage and said it.

"No, I'd rather not. You're still in a bad condition. And there could still be Non-Trinisette rays out there."

"No, there isn't any at all." Reborn confirmed. His pacifier was out of the protection sphere, and his suit was the normal one he always wore.

"Then I'll be going."

"Dame-Tsuna. Round up your guardians. We're going."

"Okay..." Tsuna sighed. But then he remembered. This was all his doing. Reborn still hadn't even moved a finger to stop him. He decided to do what he said he would do.

As the eight people left the jet, a beautiful, yet sad, scenery unfolded before their eyes.

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Soo....

There's the THIRTEENTH chapter!!

xDD

Well, have a great and awesum day everyone! Don't forget to review and stuff!!


	16. Act 14: Complications of Betrayal

Wao... It's already the fourteenth chapter...

Well, have an awesum time reading!

Don't forget to review, and I don't own KHR.

Enjoy!

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Half of the Millifore headquarters building still stood; they could even see Byakuran's office from where they looked. Then, as one, they lowered their gaze. As they scanned the area, not one person, nor even a corpse was to be found.

"So you all came, Vongola. Just look at your cute little faces..." Byakuran stepped into view from the fifth floor. "Good thing I sent everyone on vacation for today..." He jumped to level ground.

"Byakuran, I take it?" growled Tsuna.

"Ah. Even Reborn-kun and Lal-chan is here?"

"Is there a problem?" Reborn raised an eyebrow.

"Of course not. Especially the idea of taking you all on. It makes me hungry..." Byakuran smiled, possibly one of the world's most poisonous evil grins in the history of mankind.

"Still, I don't think that I need to go all out fighting you. Well, maybe I don't even have to do anything. I still have one loyal person serving under me available. Pretty strong. No... I would say very, very obedient and loyal to me. And powerful. As if she is drawing from an infinite amount of power from no source at all." Byakuran bent down and reached into a pile if rubble. Underneath the piles of beat scrap metal and shards of glass, Byakuran pulled out none other than...

Espérer. Nera-Noir Corro Espérer.

Unheard by the Vongola, though seen by them, Byakuran silently whispered, "Tsk tsk tsk tsk tsk. My dear, are you alright?" He pulled Espér entirely out of the pile of rubble and debris. "It's okay, it's okay... shh..." He stood up, pulling Espér with him. "I'm going to make you better now, okay, dear? Okay." He hugged her.

And he kissed her.

On.

The.

Lips.

Tsuna started blushing furiously. Gokudera frowned with disgust. Yamamoto looked away, with a faint shadow of red on his cheeks. Ryohei did not flinch. He knew the story behind this. Hibari silently growled. Mukuro was now in Chrome's body, and was appalled by Byakuran's actions. Then he remembered. His face turned very grave. Reborn and Lal Mirch simply looked on with disgust.

Byakuran stopped. He whispered in Espér's ear, "Now, my dear Tsuku-chan. There are a few people I don't like that I want completely erased. Okay?" Espérer's eyes slowly opened. She blinked. Her cold, ice-blue eyes looked around, then to Byakuran.

"Bya-kun, Papa, are you sure?" whispered Espér, calling Byakuran by the two titles she always called him since she came here.

"Yup. Sure. But if you think you can make use of them, then go ahead and keep them in those special containers I gave you. Keep the Vongola Rings. Now, I want you to do it fast, then come to me and we'll have dinner." Espér's eyes shone.

"Hai, papa! I'll do what you told me to do. Then we'll all have dinner!" A last hug and she jumped out of Byakuran's arms. He patted her head. She immediately looked to the Vongola Family. Her eyes of frozen fire penetrated even the depths of the coldest predator in the group. Byakuran turned and merely walked away, into the trees.

"Bya-chan told me you were bothering him. I won't forgive you for that." Espér narrowed her eyes and leaned into a charge. In her hands materialized a weapon.

This weapon was a long, thin, black pole with two blades at each end. The golden blades were triangular, and razor-sharp on all edges. The pole was segmented as well, which meant it was collapsible and extendable to whatever length Espér fancied.

She leaned into a charge, her Hawk's Eye appearing in her right hand reaching behind her back. Time seemed to freeze at that exact moment, before time fast-forwarded, and Espérer disappeared from the view of the human eye.

Gokudera lurched backward by a hit and a slice in the stomach. Yamamoto moved to help him. A thin film of translucent black isolated Lal Mirch and Reborn from the rest of the Family. Hibari, Mukuro, and Tsuna disappeared into thin air. Ryohei, being knocked a clear 50 meters, was out cold. Suddenly, isolations similar to those of Lal and Reborn have appeared around Gokudera and Yamamoto. The four bubbles rose into the air, until it was level to the height of the building. There, standing on the rooftop, awaited the child.

She held in one hand the throat of Tsuna; the other hand held her Hawk's Eye, both blades supporting the necks of Mukuro and Hibari. She first looked at the two held by the Hawk's Eye. Then she looked forward and walked off the roof.

She was held in the air, still, as if she were standing in the air. Espér spoke, her merciless voice of her cruel indifference to their lives shaking them to their roots.

"Mukuro. You, this time, will go first." The targeted man shivered as the girl held her s.

"W-what have I done, sensei? A-and..."

"What sins have you committed, you ask. What sins, I wonder. The ending of 15 lives by vulgar killing. Complete disregard for rank, and rudely coming in contact with my master. There are many more, but there is no use to say them all." Espér flung Rokudo Mukuro down to the ground 50 stories below, slightly to the side.

"Your turn, Hi-ba-ri Kyou-ya." Hibari only stared straight back.

"You are guilty of lying, cheating, stealing. Bullying. You have outlawed and denied the words of my master and myself. It is partly your fault for the Millifore mess as well." The child flung him in another direction, at a pronounced angle.

"Sawada Tsunayoshi, Vongola Decimo," hissed Espér.

"Urmph. No, Juudaime! NOOO!!!" Gokudera tried and failed to break through the isolators. Yamamoto, in another isolator beside him, said, "Maa, maa, Gokudera. We need patience. Something might happen."

Espér glanced at Yamamoto. She narrowed her eyes. "Another insult, you are punished, as well." Nobody in the isolators made another sound. She returned her focus on Tsuna.

"Sawada Tsunayoshi. Vongola Decimo. Oh, you don't know how much I've worked for you and your family's contentment, and how little I have received in return. How you lied and kept me from the truth. And yet, you ignored anything and everything I have done to you. You covered the truth, without knowing the real truth behind the one you know as well as I do. Soon, like before, you guardians will slowly, one by one, drop dead. And you won't care. You'll carry on about your business, caring only of your own life. You don't know what I am capable of. You don't know _anything at all..._" Espér's grip tightened. Tsuna cried out in pain, hands jumping to his throat. She was thinking about trapping him in one of the containers Byakuran had given her, but something interrupted her.

Espér heard a muffled thumping coming from the isolators. She turned her head.

Gokudera activated his Sistema C.A.I. and was dealing powerful blows repetitively at the bubble's delicate walls. It didn't cave in.

"Gokud-" was all Espér let out of her mouth before noticing something else. Beside Gokudera's feet, there was meowing. A cat was pacing around his heels, occasionally scratching its ear or Gokudera's feet. Then, it looked straight at Espér. It tilted its head.

"Master," breathed Espérer. She nodded towards the cat, who was now being forced into its box by Gokudera. Espér once again faced Tsuna, whose throat was still in her hands. She let go.

Tsuna dropped lightly onto the air-"ground," the exact same level of where Espér was standing. When he looked at Espér again, however, Espér's eyes were no longer ice blue. They were a soft indigo, and were shining with tears.

She fell into Tsuna's arms, crying.

"Gomenasai, Onii-sama." She took her Hawk's Eye and slit Tsuna's neck all the way around. Simutaneously, she inserted one of her memories of him into his mind. Only, she hoped, if someone would know how to wake her up again. Master, I only hope...

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It was like a scrapbook of memories, though there were no pages. They were a bit off-color, showing their age.

Right after Tsuna blacked out, he opened his eyes, this time to a picture. There was a person holding a baby. The background showed that it was probably a very, very long ago. The bedroom looked as if it belonged to the rich. However, before Tsuna could note anything else, there was a scene change.

Another person was holding another baby wrapped in a cloth. The person was younger, about six years of age. he held a bundle of cloth with a baby. The bedroom was the same as the one before. Scene changed again.

This time, it was a holiday. The boy was older in this picture, the same person who held the baby in the previous picture. He had wild, blonde hair and big, kind eyes of brown. His mouth was curled up in a smile. There was another child holding a box with a ribbon in top to the boy. She had long, flowing blonde hair, with stunning crimson eyes. The picture was switched out for another.

The wild-haired boy's eyes turned dull; they didn't show as much innocence as before. Beside him walked a person with grey hair covering his ears, hands in his pockets. At the other end of the picture, behind the two shyly trailed the little, innocent girl with crimson eyes. Her eyes showed fear. They walked through the streets lined with little stores and restaurants.

The next picture showed another holiday with the two siblings, but the boy's eyes were worried and alert, whereas the girl's eyes were half-full of joy and half-worried about her brother. The boy was in front, dragging the girl away from possibly a potential danger in the midst of a circus grounds.

This picture was the most pitiful of them all: the boy had a tired look to his eyes, along with a worried look. He sat at a throne and looked down at the person kneeling at his feet. That person kneeling at his feet was the innocent crimson-eyed girl. In her hands laid a gun. The girl's face looked sadly at her brother, whose face held scars too many to count and was pale enough to compare with the moon. She silently implored her brother not to do this. His reply was a sad look on his face, softly and gently saying that there was no choice left.

And the last picture was the graveyard. Six gravestones were seen along the bottom of the photo. Above those gravestones was a coffin, a large "I" marking directly below the Vongola coat of arms.

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Gokudera saw the event unfold before his eyes, and screamed, "JUUDAIMEEE!! NOOOOOO!!"

Espér slit Tsuna's throat, drawing a thick trail of blood. They fell, and separated in the air. The isolators sank to the ground, and its prisoners promptly rushed out to inspect the damage.

As it seems, the jet also previously had an isolator. That had popped as well. Gianinni rushed out and slammed the door behind him.

"Ehm... it seems that the kids and the girls are a bit worried about you guys being gone for a while..."

"Okay. Keep them in there. Yamamoto, check the plane. Make sure we can fly, and if there's anything needing repairs, get Lal Mirch to guard the door and have Gianinni help you. Gokudera."

"Eh..."

"Don't move. I'm going to have to fix you up. Then we'll check the others. Close your eyes. It's harmful to your eyes." Gokudera did as he was told. The pain in his mid-section dwindled to nothing.

"You can open them now." Gokudera opened his eyes. The skin in his stomach was completely repaired, to his astonishment.

"Reborn-san! How did you do that?!"

"The magician never reveals his secrets... Also, we need to check on the rest. Come on." Reborn walked off. Gokudera humbly followed, anxious to know how his Juudaime is doing, yet not wanting to upset the world's best hitman.

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Gokudera was relieved, though at the same time restless. Juudaime was really alive, but his blood loss could be too much to stop before he's dead. He couldn't figure out why Espér acted in that way, as many times as he went over the action. She looked at him, looked back at Juudaime, let go of him, leaned on him, and suddenly blood appeared in Juudaime's neck and the isolation bubbles popped. They fell, and turned up unconscious but alive. Ryohei was fine, his head sported a big ice pack and a stack of cotton layers taped on. Mukuro was unstable; Chrome returned, and in a much worse condition than before. Hibari, surprisingly, was as normal as can be. Aside from the fact that he was covered from head to toe in injuries, he was fine. His actions were usual, his personality seemingly not the slightest different from before.

Dino came. Reborn said he called up them to help, and all four people (not counting Hibari, who bandaged himself) were carted to their hospital. Then came in the reports. Ryohei was fine. Chrome was unstable, with uneven heart rate and the like. However, Juudaime and Espér were the worst cases.

Juudaime was checked for physical injuries first. Heart was slightly injured, probably from the shock of the fall. His spinal cord was somewhat malfunctioning, as nerve communication had been broken. A few ribs were needing repair, a few bad bruises. Blood vessels broken. But the worst was his mental state.

They scanned him, stuck pins in him, attached machines to him. But anything they did at all did not help. The scans showed no brain activity at all. Not even one little speck, nothing. Only the basics were there – heart control, breathing, you know. The doctors dug as far as they could go: his thoughts, his feelings, his responses to anything they did to him at all, even his brain's store of memory was wiped clean, too. He was nothing anymore. A vegetable. He no longer could recognize anyone at all, the doctors said, that's certain. We'll be even lucky if he can mutter a sound, they said.

Espér was a similar case, though her delicate frame took more damage than everyone else combined. Even the doctors feared doing anything at all to her, in case her body collapsed and stopped working entirely. There were no nutrient or water supplies given to her, either. She just laid there, in the room, smiling softly.

Still, the doctors told themselves, If we don't do anything soon, she'll die from lack of food and water.

Gokudera, Yamamoto, and Ryohei took the two girls to see Tsuna and Chrome, after eons of them begging to. They saw them, and immediately asked what the cause of those injuries was.

"The horrible person who doesn't want us back in the past." That was their only answer they could give. After the two girls left the rooms in tears, Yamamoto said, "We have to get Tsuna back up. If he's like this, then what would we do if we go back to our time and Tsuna's mom sees him like this?"

"No, it's not possible. You heard what the doctors said."

"Heh. They might not know as much as we do about him."

"Okay, I'll make it as clear as possible, baseball-idiot. He's... not... coming... back... because... his... mind... is... completely... blank."

"So all we have to do is fill up his mind again, right?"

"You make this sound so easy..." groaned Gokudera.

"Well, it is."

"How in the world would you know?" Yamamoto reached into his jeans pocket and dug out a folded piece of paper. Gokudera rolled his eyes.

"Okay. It's this." He unfolded it. It turned out to be the letter sent to him about the fixed Shigure Kintoki.

"What about it, baseball-idiot..."

"_Dear Mr. Yamamoto Takeshi,_

"_I have repaired your Shigure Kintoki. However, I have made a duplicate, especially for you, free of charge. It is an exact copy of the original, except of one detail: it's also a baseball bat that turns into a regular, clean katana over 300km/h, and is also compatible with your Vongola Rain Ring. I hope you will not damage them beyond repair, as I have worked extremely long and hard for them._

"_I will be awaiting my payment of the repairing. The cost is a cheap 100 euros, since I am not sure how much allowance you Japanese teenagers receive. I shall be waiting for my pay through Reborn._

"_Thank you, and pleased to do business with you, Rain Guardian."_

On the bottom of the paper still burned the dark flame, thriving on a non-existent fuel. That same blurred signature still stayed at the bottom of the paper, along with the little corner note with the smudged last word, "From the Training Room Underneath, Signed at the Desk of--" The little gel pen pineapple and trident happily sat at the bottom right-hand corner.

"Don't you notice the pattern?"

"What pattern, baseball-idiot?"

"Okay... I'll circle it then..." He took out a blue ballpoint pen and circled the following symbols: _ . _ , _ _ _ _ _ . , _ _ _ _ , _ _ , _ _ . _ _ _ _ _ _ _ , _ _ _ : ' _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ , _ _ _ , _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ . _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ , _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ . _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ . _ _ _ _ _ _ , _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ . _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ . _ , _ _ _ _ _ _ , _ . _ _ _ _ , _ _ _ _ _

"... That's all the spaces and punctuation."

"Exactly." Yamamoto smiled.

"And?"

"And I thought _you _were at least smart enough to solve this..."

"You are waaay to abstract. Reminds me of a certain tur-"

"Okay so it's supposed to be like fill-in–the-blanks."

"Then what is there to fill in?"

"No idea..."

Gokudera groaned.

"Um... okay. If you think there's a puzzle in this message, then work on decoding." As much as Gokudera hated working with him, he needed as much help as he can get to get Juudaime back. He'll ask Gianinni for a decoder machine later. It could decode the punctuation problem.

The two went their separate ways.

Forgotten by nearly everyone, Espér still laid in her room, many meters away from Tsuna's (no, only like about 20?), sleeping peacefully. She was near death, but showed nothing regarding the subject.

This time, her lock laid in her memories and existence; her key is among the Guardians and among the junk in the attic of Dino's residence. If her master could lead the right one to the right place....

Only if...

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A long while later, Reborn strolled into room 6960 to see Mukuro.

"Oi, Mukuro. Wake up." He noisily tapped the edge of the hospital bed with Leon. A cloud of mist appeared, and Mukuro now laid in the bed, starting blankly at the ceiling.

"Chrome said you wanted me here... so what is it, Arcobaleno?" He spoke slowly, as if in a trance. There was also a tired character in his words that was not easily missed.

"You seem to know something. So spit it out." Mukuro sighed.

"I guess there's no escaping it this time. What happened, then?" Reborn frowned, but made up his mind and reluctantly told Mukuro.

"It's been two days, Mukuro," grumbled Reborn.

"I'm sure you can remember _some _things, am I right, Arcobaleno?"

"Well, you know everything up until Espér threw you to the ground. Hibari followed. Espér slit Tsuna's neck, and the bubbles popped. That's it." Mukuro, however, had a feeling the Arcobaleno was hiding something, but ignored it to think about later.

"Okay, okay. For certain, it's not mind control, nor is it hypnosis. There's a certain power, or skill, that enables the user to change memories in certain ways to the user's satisfaction. It uses an immense amount of power and is extremely difficult. I've heard the Estreano have created something similar to it, but no matter. We both now know that Byakuran can perform the Manipulator at will, anytime, anywhere, in any situation possible at all. Sensei was the original Manipulator; she was its creator. Kuro-sama, as you know, is in Millifore hands. Byakuran most likely got to her..." Mukuro chuckled. "I could've resisted... resisted my punishment, like the other times with Vendiche. But..." He sighed and continued staring blankly at the ceiling.

"But?" Reborn repeated. _I feel so dumb saying this... _he thought.

"I just can't destroy what I've nearly given up my existence for..." After that, as many times Reborn called for Mukuro to answer, there was no reply. Reborn left, desolated but knowing much more now than an hour before.

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So that was the fourteenth chapter!

Don't forget to review!

Have a nice day, everyone!

xD


	17. Act 15: Impossiblility

So, it's the FIFTEENTH CHAPTER NAO!!!

xD

Have fun reading and don't forget to review!!

xD

-I don't own KHR.-

Enjoy!

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Everyone else moved into Dino's mansion. Each had separate rooms, unless they were Lambo and I-Pin. That night, Gokudera decided to sleep at 11:00 PM for some weird, out of this-world reason. Nevertheless, he went to bed at 11:00. Something else weird was that he left Uri out, AGAIN. And I'm sure everyone here knows what happened last time...

Well, luckily for him, Uri didn't wander away. Instead, Uri crawled into the bed with him and started clawing at Gokudera's face right before he was about to fall asleep.

"AGGHHH!! URI!! At least can you _not _crawl into the bed while I'm inside? Now off you go." He pushed Uri off the bed and in a flurry of blankets Uri was back.

"#Q(^%(*$^(%*($^($)#)%^#*^(&#%)^*!&&&#($... URI!! WHAT IS UP WITH YOU TODAY?!" The Storm Guardian glared hatefully at his box animal. Uri cowered and meowed pitifully. "No, Uri, that's not going to work on me today. Good night."

Uri meowed again, then sadly ducked under the bed to sleep as well. She has a horrible feeling that something bad was going to happen...

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Uri POV

Uri woke up again at 12:00 midnight. Uri looked around, searching for the reason Uri woke up in the middle of the night. Then Uri heard pretty sounds from a room across the corridors in the mysterious house. The pretty sounds sounded like they came from a big music-container. Uri came out from under the bed to investigate. Maybe Master is playing...

Uri looked up at the bed, expecting it to be neatly folded. However, it was slightly ruffled, and still had Master in it. Then who was playing the pretty sounds from the music-container?

Uri told Master and tugged his arm.

"Uri... didn't I tell you _not _to bother me when I'm sleeping? I'll have to cut off supply of flame if you keep on doing that." Uri told him again, but Master does not listen... Oh well, Uri'll go without him. There is no reason to bother Master with something as small as someone playing a music-container. Uri went out the door and out into the hall. Uri looked around. Where does Uri go now? Okay then, Uri goes this way. Uri needs to find some long spikies... Uri found them and went up to the next place. Uri still needs to find more spikies...

After about three groups of spikies and a vertical walk-in frame, Uri found a dark wooden room. There was a music-container in the middle of it, but there were many toys around it. Uri went to the music-container. Uri hasn't tried making the music Master used to make nearly every day in Uri's life yet. Uri crawled up to the black and white teeth of the music-container and put a paw on it. It made a sound! Uri put the other paw on another tooth. It made another sound!

Oh, how Uri was so proud!

Uri started to move Uri's paws and put them on another tooth of the music-container. But then, only after a little while of using the music-container, Master came up to the dark room.

"Uri!! What are you doing?!" Master hissed. Uri smiled at Master and pressed more of the music-container's teeth. Uri made herself Uri's own song! Uri is going to show Master her song, too!! Uri meowed to him too. But then, Master's face became weird...

His eyes were bigger than usual and his mouth was open larger then Uri's head. Then Master rushed down and came back up with a paper with five line intervals and marking-stick.

"Uri, do that again, just like you did before. Quick." Master wants Uri to play the music-container again? Master likes Uri's song!! Uri played Uri's song again and Master was scribbling hastily on the paper.

"Okay, Uri, I'll have to thank you. You just saved Juudaime!!" Master hugged Uri and carried Uri back to Master's room.

But then wasn't the person Master called Juudaime fine? Or did Master's Juudaime get hurt?

Uri still thinks that something is going to happen...

Anyways. Uri is sure as cake that Uri is going to get food tomorrow!!

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Gokudera woke up early that day. That is, if it is early enough for you. At 6:00 AM, he got up and threw on his clothes. Uri felt him wake up, since her flame supply suddenly was replenished. She looked around and followed Gokudera out to the attic. After an eternity of hallways to cross and corridors to walk, the attic's entrance was found.

Gokudera sat on the piano bench and looked at the notes he scribbled on six hours before. He made up his mind and started playing the simple song Uri played last night. Then, he started adding more notes and ornamentals. Uri was not content, however.

How could Master change Uri's perfectly good song?

She hissed at Gokudera, who ignored her and continued playing. She crawled onto his head and started clawing. Gokudera flinched a few times, but otherwise ignored her. Then, Uri had that horrible feeling again, crawled back onto the ground, and raced back into Gokudera's room. Gokudera turned his head, simultaneously halting the music of the piano.

Bad move, Gokudera. You don't know what you did at all. A very, very bad move.

Bittersweet is the best way to describe it.

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Two evenings before, Tsuna had woken up, shaking with fear. The nurses had put him to rest in his room, planning to tell the people in the mansion branch of the building in the morning. Now, it was Tsuna who rushed as fast as he could to the mansion branch, trying his best to avoid the staff before they capture him and drag him back to the room and confine him there. Luckily, the doors were all marked; the Guardian's rooms were all clearly labeled. He looked past the last one in the row, then turning the corner. His room was reserved for him...

Tsuna dashed into his room, rooting out his clothes. He found them and put them on. He found his gloves and pillbox as well, and decided to take them along with him.

For the next two days, the kitchen suffered from constantly disappearing food. The library frequently had to report missing books. Many of the people in the mansion had noted feelings of being followed and/or watched. However, the fact that Tsuna was gone from the hospital was kept secret.

Tsuna passed over those two days researching his dream. As being proven before, his dreams had been coming true. So Tsuna sat at his desk in his room all day, researching about the Vongola First. So far, however, he only found a little, tiny sentence saying that Vongola Primo was also the cousin of Cavollone Primo, therefore forging a friendship that lasted between the families.

But what had forced him to come out of this researching?

A book Tsuna found only five minutes before, called _Vongola Famiglia, _by a certain author named Cocoa, was written in horizontal text. Tsuna looked down the column on the farthest left, reading the script in his native tongue. Eyes widening, he slammed the book shut, took it in his arms, and rushed to Dino's office.

Oh, how surprised Dino was!

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Now, in the present, something else had happened. Regarding the patient in the room 2766. Her eyes are now a pool of indigo and lavender, and her hair now glowed in gold. She started blankly at the ceiling. She was indeed, who she was before, however one thing remained different. Her air of experience had advanced. Formidable to even those without any knowledge of battle. Yet, her eyes had a gentleness in them that can calm even the most ferocious beasts.

She sat up. If _I'm right, then I should be in the Cavallone hospital in Sicily._ She looked around. Next to her bed was a window, sunlight shining brightly through. It was six in the morning. She stood up and left the room. Down the endless hallways and passages she flew, not once taking an extra step, not once going the wrong way. Her path was carefully calculated, as to use the least energy and to arrive at her destination as soon as possible. There were no nurses or doctors wandering the hallways, to her mild surprise.

She knew another had awoken.

She had no reason not to meet her relations, whether they recognize her or not anymore. And so, after she fortified herself to the looks of confusion and anger she would likely be receiving when she sees her original family. After that, she planned to punish and be done with it. She got up and expertly made her way to Dino's office, where she knew Dino and the rest of the Vongola famiglia would be at this time.

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"Dino-san! This is an emergency!" Tsuna burst through the door, panting.

"Tsuna! I thought you were in the hospital! And you woke up!" He immediately stood up from his seat. As Tsuna stopped running and put his hands on his knees, panting, the book he held slipped to the floor, the title showing in big, prominent letters.

"Dino-san, it's–an–emergency..." panted the exhausted boy.

"What is the emergency then? I'll get a chair and a nurse." Dino grabbed a nearby chair and shoved it under Tsuna.

"No, I don't need a nurse. I only need to-"

"Your Guardians... they need to know... I'll have to inform the hospital branch..." Dino completely ignored Tsuna and strolled purposefully out the door. A few minutes later, a pair of medics rushed in, bringing along complex machines. They checked him and promptly left, nodding and recording notes in their clipboards. Dino, with Gokudera, Yamamoto, Reborn, Lal Mirch, and Ryohei trailing behind him, now appeared.

"JUUDAIMEE!!!" Bear hug. The obvious happened. Yamamoto looked happy as ever. Ryohei was relieved, happy to know that Tsuna was no longer expected to be a vegetable when he woke. Reborn frowned. Lal Mirch didn't say anything. She thought furiously, _How did he wake up? Is there even a logical and scientific way to explain this? With the knowledge we have right now, this should be impossible._

Unknown to them at first, one of the double doors to Dino's office opened a crack, with a few feathers floating through the opening.

"Maa, maa Gokudera. You don't have to be _that _excited..."

"Juudaime's a miracle! How can you just stand there smiling just like you always do, baseball idiot?"

"Hoi, Gokudera... you can get off me if you want... it's not like I require you to be this excited..."

"I'm sorry, Juudaime!!"

"Err... it's really okay..."

"Shh." Dino put his finger to his mouth. The room immediately was immersed in heavy silence as Dino tiptoed to the door and slowly opened it until it was fully open. Dino's lower jaw fell limp.

"Cortienne," breathed Dino, inaudible to others. Dino stepped backwards, putting what stood in the doorway into view. Or, not really stood. It was a little fluffy bird, hovering in the air. The white down covering it head to toe emphasized its dark eyes and cream-colored beak.

Everyone was surprised, though Ryohei and Gokudera frowned, surprised but hiding their momentary loss of cool. The bird chirped, then landing on Dino's head. Holding his breath, he took it into his hands and brought it down to his chest. He held it out to Tsuna.

"No, no-no-no-no-no-no-no i-it's alright..."

"Well, I think you should." He dumped it into Tsuna's lap, and everyone crowded around him.

"Juudaime, that's a handsome bird!"

"It's so cute!"

"Nobody need your opinion, baseball idiot!"

"It _is_ a rather unique bird, though..."

"Lawn-head, not you too."

"Well, it's true."

"I'll have to agree to that, Lal."

"Oi, look who's here." Everyone looked in the direction Reborn pointed. The door swung open. Guess who was there?

A yellow ball of fluff flew in, with two people behind it. Hibari remarked, "There was a disturbance." He halted his footsteps when he saw the bird. He narrowed his eyes. Mukuro smiled when he saw it.

_So it's you again?_

The bird chirped once more.

_Chrome, I'll be coming out now. This is important._

"Mukuro-sama?" Poof.

"Hmm... Ten years in the future and I see you again?" smirked Mukuro. It chirped several times in rapid succession. Mukuro nodded.

"Okay, you people. This bird-" Said bird chirped again.

"-I mean, Cortienne, wants to tell you a few things. I will be translator." The bird chirped with authority once again, and Mukuro added, "Do not worry about accuracy of my translations, as Cortienne herself is present." The bird chirped.

"I mean, Coritenne-hime-sama." The bird started chirping so rapidly, they mixed in together into a slur. When it was finished, Mukuro looked inquisitively at the bird. It chirped again. Mukuro nodded and delivered the following message.

"As you all know, I am Cortienne." A few raised eyebrows appeared.

"As she said, _accuracy_." The group nodded. Mukuro continued.

"As you all know, I am Cortienne. I understand Tsunayoshi has been forewarned of my appearance in the book of Vongola Heritage written by a good friend. However, it appears that the majority of you do not know who Cortienne is. Of course, Mukuro knows. He knows my past on this earth. And I am sure that you all know Rokudo Mukuro is as old as the Earth as been alive. However, I shall tell, first, a legend, a prophecy, written in many books, such as the Bible and the Qu'ran, the History of Humankind and the Alphabet book.

"The Lord shall descend to the Earth when a new power rises from the horizon of the Meridian. The sea and the land shall meet, and humans will clash in a struggle for supremacy. Hope shall reincarnate in the hearts of the hopeless, and lives will once again see the rise of a new leader. Gods will be born; humans will die. Life shall renew itself.

"And I must add that, unfortunately, my comrades and I have chosen this world as a meeting point. Much shall happen here for the rest of your mortal lives.

"Pardon me; I have not introduced myself properly. I am the Lord's direct servant, the second-in-command. As my life as Cortienne, I have been in the heart of this new power, and as my life in this time, I have once again visited the family I had lived with for more than a lifetime. The family I had lived with was the Vongola famiglia. I feel overcome with emotion seeing my cousin, my brother, and his family of Guardians once more. However, I am under Byakuran's rule in this time," finished Mukuro. He cast a betrayed, vulnerable look at Cortienne. Cortienne spoke. Mukuro, of course, translated.

"Onii-san is the one I am most reluctant to kill. And of course, my and my master's students. Dino, Mukuro, Gokudera, and many others whose names you did not keep. And as I said before, I don't feel as bad as I usually would. As long as Master would oblige, and plus, there is still punishment needing to be dealt to you all. As usual, mafioso are too troublesome to mix with.

"Actually, I must admit, it is truly convenient for Reborn to collect the Original Family as the Tenth." The bird flew in flying in circles around the room. Soon, a wind was created, a whirlpool of air. Things flew off shelves. Furniture jumped out of their original places. Gokudera scampered to his Boss and covered him. Yamamoto and Dino joined him. The bird flew out a window, with Hibari following it with a tonfa. Kuro appeared and leaped inside from another window.

"Truly, is it sensible to give you peaceful deaths, after all the sins you all have committed? Cortienne had fled to me in tears, weeping so hard because of her weakness to not be able to follow my orders," said she, shooting silence glares at Mukuro, Reborn, and Lal.

"You are all very lucky to have escaped Byakuran's sight alive, and also as lucky to know that I am not in complete control of my power. Byakuran could have killed you on the spot if he wanted to."

"Kuro-sama! You surely would not slay the very student that you have taught for so long?"

"This era of the Mafioso world and the common world, this era of betrayal and distrust, this is war." Kuro's form disappeared, Tsuna disappeared, and a last message hung in the air.

"Byakuran will be awaiting you."

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The only thing she thought of was returning to Byakuran, who was a dear friend of hers and had the remains to her rock and her pacifier. Also, she thought of the instructions given to her.

To erase the Vongola, take the Vongola rings in their possession, capture the members if useful, and return to him.

Suddenly, in her mind, she heard someone familiar say: "Crowding disrupts the peace. I'll bite you all to death if you do not disperse..." She knew he was right. Right that crowding can attract trouble. Right that crowding can be dangerous, given a situation much like this one. The Vongola family were up for grabs, like free candy at a Halloween special.

Her lips curved into a crooked smile. _They had this coming for years. Years and years of it. And today, they are going to pay for what they did to me. Their idea of a beautiful, happy daydream was like a shape-shifting devil; I'd like to see them try it too. The plans that went horribly wrong. The holidays that were most rudely interrupted. The continuous years of living with friends and family that did not recognize my existence. The days of agony listening to them treat me as a child, no more, no less._

Tsuna was stored safely inside one of Byakuran's special containers. Though alive, he had a grim near future. What awaited Tsuna's coming was a water dripper and a Manipulation session.

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So that was the fifteenth chapter!

Tune in next time!

xD

Have a nice day and don't forget to review!

xDD

PS: I_'_m in my brainstorming stage again, thinking what's going to happen next, but i'll update chapter 16 as soon as I get it done, okay everyone?? xDD


	18. Act 16: In the Hands of the Enemy

Auh, so this is the 16TH CHAPTER ALREADY!!

xD

I'm soo excited about this chapter~

xD

So sit tight and enjoy!

-I do not own KHR.-

w00t, and here goes!

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Gokudera looked about stupidly. _Where did Juudaime go? And what about that Kuro? _As expected, everyone else around him was panicking, that is, aside from Reborn and Lal Mirch. They were talking by the window, away from the others. Hibari was nonchalant, and Mukuro had a look as if in deep thought.

Dino, Yamamoto, Ryohei were huddled together, trying their best to sort everything out, Dino especially, since he had not seen anything related to Kuro in the recent past, as of the information the Guardians from the past know. Gokudera joined Dino and the two "–head" people and said, "We need to get Juudaime out of there."

"I know. Tsuna ten years ago wasn't as advanced as the one supposedly in this time. Byakuran's probably going to be giving Tsuna something his older body and mind _could_ withstand, but the younger one could not." Gokudera and Yamamoto immediately paled. Ryohei nodded gravely.

"So now that you know, what do _you_ think we should do?"

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Tsuna was in a container. A box-like container, might I add. He was frightened very badly. He wished with all his might that all this was a dream, or another of those out-of-this-world prank on him. He screamed for help, and once his voice gave out, he knocked on the walls of his enclosure. For what had seemed a minute from eternity, the enclosure was moving about; the floor, or bottom of the box, was constantly altering its angle, one slant one second and a completely different one the next. He settled to sitting down for a while. He rummaged about his pockets and such, finding his X-Gloves and pillbox. With a sudden increase of faith and hope, he tossed the pill inside his mouth and slipped on the gloves. The flame grew gently out of his forehead, and his gloves sprung forth flames not unlike the one on his head. His hands, outstretched, could touch, though faintly, the sides of the wall. He did so, however the floor lurched sideways once again, and Tsuna toppled over. Getting up, he shakily stood on his feeble two legs and concentrated, so that his X-Burner would succeed in breaking the walls of the box and therefore give him a good chance of escape.

Orange fire leaped off Tsuna's hands as if his hands were two fountains of water, forever spouting water from an unknown source. Tsuna readied himself, and adjusted his stance a little bit. He'll need to brace himself for the blast, as his soft flame might not hold. The uncontrollable characteristic of his purified flame could skyrocket its strength, and therefore destroy the whole operation. A moment to assure that he is ready, and that he's going to do it, for sure. He released the X-Burner to its height of power.

The flames jumped off the sides of the enclosure like electricity to a wall of impenatratable rubber. He tried holding it there. But in vain. Tsuna weakened and fell to the ground, panting as cold beads of sweat formed on his face. _This is impossible..._

That was his last thought before falling into one of the deepest slumbers he'd ever slept through.

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When Tsuna had awoken, he looked around. _There was an explosion... No, wait! Why am I here in the first place?? _Tsuna looked around wildly. He got to his feet, suddenly feeling that his clothes had gained in weight. He was dressed in a black, silk cape with gold chains and shoulder guilds. Underneath that was a dress shirt and formal trousers, finished off with a pair of expensive leather dress shoes. The clothing was burnt on the edges a little bit, and they were ripped in some places. His skin was fine, for the time being.

_EHHHH?!?!?! WHY AM I DRESSED LIKE THIS?!?!?! I'M NOT THE FIRST, OKAY!??! THIS IS NOT SOME TYPE OF A JOKE, OR A PRANK, OR-OR A PARODY!! Okay, okay. I can deal with this. Now, calm down, calm down. _Tsuna took in a deep breath and immediately coughed. His legs buckled and he fell again.

"Boss! Boss, are you in there!? BOSS!" A faint voice grew louder and louder, coming closer and closer.

"Who's that!?" Tsuna coughed.

"Boss!" A figure came into focus. It was Gokudera, for goodness' sake. He wore a suit and trousers, not too unlike the clothes he himself was wearing.

"Ah! Gokudera, thank you." However, Tsuna broke out into a series of coughs.

"Oh, no, BOSS! BOSS! Oh no, you've inhaled the poison... Okay, I'll get that poison out of there in no time, when we're out of here."

"Thank you."

"No need, Boss. Whatever I can do to keep you away from harm." Gokudera slung Tsuna around his shoulder and made his way out of the mass of flames. And then chaos broke out.

A mass of gunshots. The sound of bodies hitting the ground. Gokudera cursed, informing Tsuna, "B-Boss, most of the rest of the Guardians and their teams have fallen. Come on, we must hurry." Tsuna perked up. _Guardians? Meaning... Yamamoto, Lambo, Ryohei, Mukuro, and Hibari-san could all be dead right now?_

"Everyone, dead?" mumbled Tsuna. He was numb all over. _No, not everyone. Gokudera's still here, isn't he? _The Gokudera beside him nodded solemnly. Then Tsuna got a good look at the man that was helping him. He looked nearly like the Gokudera he knew. Then who was this?

"No, no, no, no. This is all wrong..." Tsuna shook off Gokudera and stood by himself. Tsuna pointed authoritvely at Gokudera.

"You're not Gokudera," he accused.

"Boss!"

"If you are not Gokudera Hayato, if you are not my Storm Guardian, then you are not my right hand man and not my rightful Guardian!"

"No, Boss! This is all wrong! Even though my last name is Gokudera and my first name is not Hayato, I _am _your rightful Storm Guardian! I _am _your right hand man! I can even show you." He took out a ring from his pocket.

"No. That had been stolen! You probably had killed Gokudera off long ago and took his place as a spy for another family!"

"No, NO, BOSS! BOSS! I've been your Storm... I've been your Storm, for a long time, in fact, since we've been middle school... No, I can't worry about these things right now. I need to get the poison out of you, Boss."

"NO! You are not going to 'take the poison out of me'! I'm perfectly fine! Plus, even if I _do_ have poison in myself, you would 'treat' me with something harmful and kill me!"

"Boss..." Gokudera looked at Tsuna with pleading eyes, to at least cure him of this possibly lethal chemical. And then, _bang._

A gunshot.

Gokudera had fallen to the ground, shot in the chest.

"Gokudera!" Tsuna coughed. And then he coughed more, and more, until he felt like that he no longer had the luxury of breathing. _It feels like ice, it feels like fire. Is this death?_

_I should have let Gokudera take it out, even if he isn't the one I know._

_No, wait. What am I thinking!? These are selfish thoughts! Am I even _allowed _to think them? _Tsuna chuckled to himself. _So, this is the end?_

Black devoured the rest of what Tsuna could see with his eyes.

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Tsuna woke up again, beads of sweat hanging on the strands of his hair and the skin of his face. He was breathing hard, face red.

"NO! Let me go!" he screamed, "I can't take it anymore!" He rocked his chair back and forth, attempting to escape its grasp. His eyes opened wide, and he saw a metal ceiling. He was bound on a contraption; something like a chair, but the various pieces of the chair were placed in a horizontal fashion; bands of some unidentified metal bound him to it. A large dripper with a plug hung above his head.

The room was rather large, so large that echoes could be heard. A door opened.

"Who's there!?" Tsuna feverishly screamed.

"Sawada Tsunayoshi. So you've had a nightmare?" _No, I can recognize this voice... Is this Espérer-san!?!_

Espérer walked up to Tsuna's 'chair', each step echoing eerily in the room. She wore a beautiful black dress, shimmering in the dim light. Her shoes were indiscernible.

"Tsuna, was it a nightmare? Well, I'm sure what's coming up next is going to be even worse. Then Bya-chan would be happy." Espérer smiled, her cold, blue eyes shining.

"Espérer, that isn't really you, isn't it?" snarled Tsuna.

"Well, the old little softie? Bya-chan kicked her out. Bya-chan then let me move in, and now I'm here!" she smiled, tracing the surface of the contraption.

"Well," she continued, "Once I get this thing started, I'll see you in four hours, alright?" She unplugged the dripper, and water fell on his forehead, drop by drop. Espérer's footsteps echoed and died away with the closing of the door, and Tsuna had the contraption all to himself for a period of four hours.

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The Guardians all gathered at Dino's meeting room to discuss what to do next, as the office was too wreaked to use any longer until full restoration.

"What are we supposed to do?"

"Go back to the past, of course. Why else?" yawned Hibari, "I'll be going now."

"Yeah, but we still need to transport Espérer back to the past, as well." An icy glare was thrown at Dino.

"Espérer? I warn you, if you are mistaken, if you are lying, then I will bite you to death." Silence. Hibari, liking the dead silence, stayed.

"You said that Espérer is here? How do you know her?" Mukuro asked carefully.

"Well, of course. She-"

"Oi," frowned Reborn, "We have more important things to talk about as of the moment."

"Sorry, Reborn," said Dino.

"Okay, so Tsuna's in the hands of Byakuran. That sounds bad enough saying it, so we need to get him out of there."

"How?" asked Ryohei.

"That's the question, as Shakespeare puts it."

"Then where are they right now?" mumbled Gokudera.

"No idea, to tell you the truth, Gokudera." He groaned at Yamamoto's words, mumbling things about "baseball-idiots" and "pie" and such things angrily.

"Ah! Dino-san! The Millifore request a live video feed. Should I let them through with it?"

"A live video feed?" repeated Reborn, "Let them in."

"Wha- Reborn!" exclaimed Dino.

"We'll know what happened to Tsuna, you lazy heads," stated Lal.

The screen was lowered, and the video was displayed on the screen. It was dark for a second, and Espérer came into the camera.

"Espérer! What have you done to Juudaime!?" snarled Gokudera. She chuckled.

"Nothing of your concern."

"Espérer! What had gotten into you!?" Dino asked with concern.

"I had changed. Is that not a problem?"

"Of course it is! You've- You've been doing so many violent things that girls your age should have never done!" said Dino. She merely chuckled.

"Ah, you humans are so entertaining... Oh, and I've forgotten something. Ts-"

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO JUUDAIME YOU *&%$*!?"

"Sawada Tsunayoshi I have with me," she said gently, "I'll leave you guys to talk for a bit, okay?" And she left the video screen with the audience reacting to the conversation they just had with Espérer.

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Tsuna was in extreme(!) agony by the time the four hours were up. Probably he was half-insane. No matter.

"Tsunayoshi... Tsunayoshi... Hello~? Tsuna...? Hey, wake up," coaxed Espérer. Tsuna blinked and rubbed his eyes a bit. With a trembling mouth and a trembling body, he said, "Why, why did I deserve this?"

"You can ask you Guardians that, okay?" Espérer smiled reassuringly.

"G-Guardians? Aren't they-"

"Shh.... Calm down a bit. We're going to go see them through the video feed, so be good." She wrapped a towel around him and brought him to the video feed.

"There, Tsunayoshi. See that video camera? Sit in front of the big screen, so you can see them and they can see you, okay?" Tsuna weakly nodded. The Guardians had heard the last sentence that Espérer had spoken, and immediately quieted down.

Tsuna sat down shakily and lifted his face so everyone could see him. He appeared to be in good condition aside from his shaking.

"Hi," he said miserably.

"JUUDAIME!! Are you alright?" Gokudera leaped from his seat in joy, leaning towards Tsuna anxiously.

"I-I'm alright..." He slightly moved away, with his numbed and confused brain trying to comprehend the situation.

"I'll be gone from here on." And Espérer left the room.

"Hey, Tsuna, what did they do to you?" inquired Dino, a bit hesitatingly.

"They... they dripped water on me."

"How long?" asked Reborn.

"Four hours." Despite the fact that he was talking to many people, his responses were the same miserable, given up, dead voice. Lal, Reborn, and Dino were appalled. Gokudera even more so.

"Water torcher," gasped Gokudera, "Juudaime, I'm so very sorry! I couldn't stop them from taking you away! I'm so sorry!"

"Taken me from... from where?" asked Tsuna in that dead voice of his.

"Tsuna!" cried Ryohei, "You should know! You were kidnapped – by the Millifore! You don't know!?" Tsuna shook his head.

"Tsuna, what else have they done to you? What happened ever since you were taken?"

"T-There was an explosion..."

"An explosion?" repeated Yamamoto, his face twisted into a frown, his forehead creased with concentration and concern.

"There were gunshots... and you all died," explained Tsuna's dead voice. The other side was speechless, silent.

"You all died... all died... gunshots... died..." mumbled Tsuna, as if tasting the words for the first time. Then he said, "If all of you are dead, then you guys on the other side of the video feed are all fakes! Fakes! I've seen the deaths of you all with my very own eyes!"

"Juudaime! JUUDAIME!! No... I'm sorry, Juudaime, I-I have to leave..." Gokudera got up from his chair and left through the door.

"Tsuna! This isn't like you! TSUNA!" yelled Dino.

"No wait... If you all had died, and if Gokudera died, then I died of the poison..." Tsuna continued to mumble, and counted his fingers, tracing them along unseen paths.

"T-Tsuna? Tsuna?"

"Th-That means that we all will die and live again, together... as a family..." he whispered to himself.

"Tsuna!" cried Yamamoto.

"Yamamoto? What's wrong, you aren't smiling..." He looked up in concern as well.

"We were worried about you. Even if we made it back, but without you, what will life be like?"

"Yes, that's right... we're all tied together, as souls. Whenever we live, wherever we live, we will come together as a group..." Tsuna continued mumbling to himself. Reborn signaled everyone to be quiet, as Reborn thinks that Tsuna's on the verge of something big. Tsuna sighed.

"How could I have never seen this?" Tsuna sighed and smiled, "Everyone, I think I have an idea.

"The Millifore have taken the property of the Vongola literally. It is a clam. Clams have pearls, which attract people to reach into their mouths to take them. The clams then will have a chance to attack, and 'bites' (Hibari smiled to himself at this) on the hand. That is what the Millifore are doing right now. They have taken the bait, whatever it may be, and put it in a trap."

"So, Juudaime, you mean that Byakuran is merely planning a simple bait trap?" beamed Gokudera, entering the room once more. He said, "Juudaime, I'm sorry about walking off on you before. I've got good ears (of course, not as good hearing as Juudaime), and I think I did catch most of what you said."

"Thank you Gokudera-kun, also for asking that question. As we all know, clams are a major industry. There are pearl clams and oysters as well. As the clams and oysters number much more than ten thousand in a small fishing port, and so wild clams that hold perfectly genuine pearls are expensive and hard to find. Therefore, much money is traded for one of these precious pearls, and much more for a necklace of them. The Millifore are planning to have something precious to be brought before them in exchange for the bait that had lured the Vongola inside the trap, or else it shall be their lives. The pearl necklace could be like the Trinisette. Byakuran is collecting pearls for the collection, where each is acquired at a great cost. That also means that he will go to great lengths to get what he wants. Also, a clam is not wanted only for its pearls. Its shell could be of use; Byakuran has already collected the shells and strength of many mafia families. It shall be very difficult to penetrate his shield by force. The body of the clam can provide nutrition and health. Byakuran has devoured many of the mafia families, growing stronger each victory..." Tsuna's words were once again reduced to incoherent mumbling, as his figure was rocking feverishly once more.

"Dame-Tsuna!" cried Reborn, earning the abrupt and full attention of Tsuna and everyone in Dino's meeting room.

"We need to come up with a plan of how to get you out of there." Tsuna nodded, though with a doubting frown.

"Then, how? I mean-"

"I know." A faint buzzing noise reached Tsuna's ears. He ignored it.

"Where are you right now?" asked Ryohei.

"I-I don't know." The buzzing turned into a whir, and continued to get louder, as if coming closer. His intuition alerted him of possible danger, and Tsuna's hands automatically darted into his pocket.

"Sorry you guys, I think I have to go now. You can watch for now, okay?" He got up from his seat and slipped on his gloves, simultaneously popping a pill into his mouth. With his gloves ready, he looked around cautiously and called, "Who's there? Answer me! Who's there? Come out, I know you're here."

There was a flash of bright light. Tsuna fell to the ground, unconscious, and his flame dwindled to nothing. The furniture was destroyed, and the wall of the room barely held.

"Tsuna!" yelled Yamamoto, leaping out of his chair.

"Juudaime!" called Gokudera, jumping from his seat as well. An unearthly chuckle came through the feed. Through the smoke and debris emerged none other than Kuro.

"Kuro-sama!" Mukuro called in panic.

"Heh, so you're all still alive... We'll hold your Vongola Boss at the forest at midnight. Let no-one accompany you tonight. However, bring Lambo-kun."

"No, wait! Stop, Kuro-hime!" ordered Reborn, "The video feed is coming from the abandoned warehouses. We will not accept lies, Kuro-hime."

"I'll leave that for you guys to decide. Nevertheless, we'll be waiting for your arrival with the rest of the Vongola rings in the forest at midnight. Too bad they don't know about the mirrors, right, Tsunayoshi? I wonder if they even read books..." Kuro chuckled and Tsuna faded into thin air.

"We'll be waiting~!" Kuro walked towards the entrance to the room.

"Kuro-sama! What are you doing?" Kuro stopped upon hearing the voice of her student.

"Well, of course, helping Byakuran with his goal of dominating the world with the Trinisette. One thing, however. Puzzles have puzzles inside themselves. Never think that you've solved it until you have no more missing pieces... Hmm, and I've thought that you kids are all smart enough to solve this simple little puzzle?" Kuro left, with the video camera finally failing, and cutting the feed.

Gokudera cursed under his breath.

"Mirrors? So that was how they did it," said Lal. Reborn nodded.

"Auh. The feed's electromagnetic waves were reflected by mirrors..."

"But the weird thing is, we haven't seen Byakuran since _that _day..." stated Ryohei, "Is he planning something?"

"Still, I say we should go to get Juudaime, even if it means walking straight into a trap."

"Gokudera has a point. Like before, faith can help us live on," smiled Yamamoto. He looked to Dino. His elbows rested on the table, and his hands were positioned as if the person were in deep thought. His face was twisted in a frown.

"Hoi, Dino! What are you thinking about? Is it...Enoz's dad?" Yamamoto laughed. Dino chuckled.

"No. It was what Kuro-said."

"The thing about the mirrors?" asked Lal.

"No."

"Then what?" asked Reborn.

"The _rest_ of the Vongola rings? Dominating the world? Trinisette? _Puzzles?_ This is a mess, I tell you."

"Hmph. Exactly why Tsuna had banned use of the Bazooka after Reborn had gone. Exactly why Kuro-sama said that what Life I had chosen would be the Life I will have until the end of it. Exactly why Byakuran had gotten his chance of world domination. And he even beat _me_. Ah well, I'll be off for a nap." Mukuro left.

"Eh? Wha-"

"Never mind him. Anyways, what is meant by the rest of the Vongola rings? Don't we have all six Guardian rings?" asked Dino.

"We-" This time, Reborn cut Yamamoto off.

"They have the Sky ring already. Asking for the rest meant by asking for the six Guardians' rings."

"Dominating the world with the Trinisette? What does that mean?" This time, Yamamoto wisely kept his mouth shut.

"The Trinisette story, have you heard of it before?" asked Ryohei. Dino nodded.

"Then you should know," finished the Sun Guardian.

"Hoi, lawn-head, what exactly _is _the Trinisette story?"

"Gokudera, it's proper name is not the Trinisette story. It's how the Earth came into being, and how everything became the way it is."

"Oh well, enough for this pointless discussion. I'll be going off for some rest. If anyone intrudes, they will be bitten to death." Hibari left, with his kind and generous words still lingering in the air. Usually, Tsuna would be jumpy, immediately fixing the environment from sour to sweet. However, today Tsuna wasn't there. This saddened Gokudera and Yamamoto a great deal.

There was silence in the room now, each person confined in their own thoughts. Until...

"NYAHAHAHAHAHA!! THE ALMIGHTY LAMBO-SAN, HERE TO CONQUER THE PENGUINS OF CANADA AND THE LIONS OF ANTARCTICA!! AND ALSO THE PEOPLE OF MALI AND ALL THE CANDY IN THE WORLD!! MUAHAHAHAAH!!"

"No, Lambo! They're busy!" I-Pin.

"AGH, STUPID COW!" _Tsss.... *crackle *crackle _"I'LL BOMB HIM TO ETHIOPIA IF HE STILL WANTS TO CONQUER ALL THOSE THINGS!!" Of course...

"You know, Mali's not in Ethiopia..." said Dino.

"I CAN BOMB YOU TO MARS THEN, STUPID COW."

"NYAHAHAHAHA!! YOU CAN'T KILL ME! I'M THE ALMIGHTY LAMBO!! NYAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!"

"Okay... I didn't see anything... I'll be going now..." Ryohei snuck out of the room with Reborn and Dino. Lal left as well, for her own safety. Haru and Kyoko entered, finally locating the whereabouts of the two children.

"Lambo-kun!"

"I-Pin!"

_BOOM._

"HAHI! WHAT HAPPENED?!"

"To...ler...ate...WAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH~! OCTUPUS-HEAD HIT ME!! WAAHHHHH~!"

"GOKUDERA HAYATO! LAMBO'S STILL A CHILD! HE'S ONLY SIX YEARS OLD!"

"I DON'T CARE."

"WAAHHHHH~!!"

"Maa... Maa... Hoi, Gokudera. Calm down... It isn't his fault."

"THEN WHOSE FAULT WAS IT? WHO CAUSED THE STUPID COW TO RUN IN ALL OF A SUDDEN SCREAMING TO CONQUER PENGUINS IN CANADA, LIONS IN THE ANTARCTIC, CANDY, AND EVERYONE IN MALI?!?!??!"

And here we leave the arguing Haru, yelling Gokudera, crying Lambo, and the passive Yamamoto to their educational lesson of the day. However, the harsh reality of the current situation was grim and imposing in two of those minds, threatening to destroy the very lifeline of the Vongola Family.

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Erm... I think I've done a little too much for a chapter...?

Ehehee...

Oh well, I hope you've had a great time reading~!

xDD

Espérer: Hoi, Koori-chan~

What's it??

Espérer: They're breaking through the closet again...

Okay. Then I'll add in a little sticky candy and Irie, Spanner, and Byakuran. Sound good?

Espérer: Yeah. That'll be fun...

Closet: OI, ANYONE AT ALL OUT THERE, KYOKO AND HARU SERIOUSLY NEED TO GO!!

Hey, hey. Didn't I already tell you that there is a toilet in there?

Espérer: Oh, Byakuran, Spanner, and Irie are here~

Good. Come on, you three. Get inside the closet. Got the candy, Espérer?

Espérer: Yeah.

Okay. Byakuran, Spanner, Irie, rub this all over yourselves.

Byakuran: Why are we doing this?

It'll be fun, I trust you. Plus, there'll be Tsuna and Mukuro and Hibari and Gokudera and everyone else too~!

Irie: Kewl.

Spanner: I know. This'll be fun.

Good to see you cooperate! (smiles evilly) *pushes the three into the closet and lock them inside

Espérer: There, all taken care of!

Closet except Byakuran and Irie and Spanner: HOI, TWO TEENAGE GIRLS NEED TO GO BADLY! HELLOO!!

Lambo: NYAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA!! LAMBO-SAN HAS FOUND CANDY!!

Byakuran: GYAH! Why am I being attacked by a kid? Argh, gerrof. Gerrof me!

Spanner: Heh.

Irie: Lol.

*Lambo jumps from Byakuran to Irie

Irie: WAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!

Byakuran and Spanner: *laughs hysterically

*Lambo jumps to Spanner

Spanner: AAAAAARRRHGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!! Whose kid is this!?!?!?!?

_BOOM._

Gokudera: STUPID COW! DON'T DISTURB JUUDAIME!!

Espérer: At least I'm sane...

But am I? o.o

Anyone that reviews shall receive a FREE orange pineapple! THANK YOU SO MUCH, REVIEWERS!!!

xDD

Oh and MERRY (late) CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!!


	19. Act 17: Chasing the Ransomer

WAHAHAH!!! I'm back!

xD

Okay... so... I think you should read this chapter too...

xDD

I don't own KHR...

TT^TT

Oh well, still I got the story to write! Ehehe....

Well we all sure wonder what will become of Tsuna, right? Right? Heheh...

Espérer: Well, isn't it obvious? Koori-chan here is such a-

Suck-y writer? If that is what you think about me, I'll have your head.

Espérer: But if anyone else said that to you, even one of your favorite characters in the KHR series, like-

SHHT! I'll have their heads as well, even if they're the bosses of the world's strongest mafia families!

Byakuran: Oh really?

Espérer: (thinks) He really doesn't know what Koori-chan can do... especially in _here..._

Dino: Can you beat Enzo?

I can even beat Enzo's father's boss.

Tsuna: HII!

Gokudera: I WON'T FORGIVE YOU FOR THAT, EVIL... what name was it again?

HOW DARE YOU....

Gokudera: I-I can't remember somehow...

FORGET....

Tsuna: GOKUDERA, GOKUDERA, HURRY UP AND REMEMBER HER NAME BEFORE SHE KILLS ALL OF US!!

MY...

Tsuna: WAAAHHHHH!! WE'RE DEAD!! WE'RE DEAD!! *is kicked very extremely(!) by Reborn

Oh, and would you like a lollipop? I have enough for everyone~!

Closet People: EHHHH?!?!?!?

Lambo: NYAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!! LAMBO-SAN LOVES LOLLIPOPS!! GIMME ONE!!

*Lollipops appear in everyone's hands inside the closet

Lambo: GIMME!! WAHH!! LAMBO WANTS CANDY!!

Gokudera: STUPID COW!! GET OFF OF ME, OR I'LL KILL YOU!!

Yamamoto: Maa... Maa, Gokudera.

Hibari: Who... dares... disturb... my... sleep...? *sends out (FREE!) death glares

Tsuna: Ehh, Hibari-san...

*Chaos ensues.

This is probably enough punishment enough for them this chapter, don't you think, Espér?

*Espérer nods

Oh well, at least I still have some chocolate left this time.

xD

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It was night. A half-moon decorated the sky, accompanied by the light of trillions of beautiful stars in a background of black oblivion. The owls were hooting tonight, heralding the coming of midnight. Bushes rustled, trees shook, and blankets of needles threatened to injure. Figures in the darkness darted here and there. Whispers hung in the air, mixed with the everyday night noises of the busy neighbors that try their best to maintain a normal life with battling Mafioso appearing on their front yards every two times a week in the city nearby. Here, in the forest, trees of the blooming spring looked like ghosts of themselves in the half-moon moonlight, echoing the past, the joy, the happiness when peace had ruled over violence.

"Espér-san! Come on." A figure darted between the gap of two trees.

"Hai, Uni." Another did so as well. Then the whole troop came into view, dashing in the middle of the night to their destination.

"Uni-sama, it appears that they are coming tonight." And the messenger had spoken true. Eight silhouettes appeared in the moonlight, speeding to their destination as well. Five separate shining objects were observed to be on their bodies, and so...

"Please give them our warmest welcoming then. We wouldn't ever want to be rude, especially to the Vongola," Espérer said sarcastically. Uni nodded with a small smile, and her half of the troops obediently left as well.

And the two were left alone.

"Does Byakuran have the Vongola Boss?" asked Uni. Espér nodded.

"Should I do this myself? I mean, you've been here longer than I have. It's unfair for a lowly person such as me do less work than a high ranked person like you."

"If you wish to do it. I'm afraid of what might happen, as even during your training, the outcomes can be quite unexpected," said Uni, sweat dropping. She remembered the time when Espérer had walked out of the room with cream pie splattered throughout the training room, and another time when she had come out of the room with a chocolate bar, leaving behind a mountain of chocolate, candy, and cans of whipped cream, butter, cheese, cream cheese, half-and-half, and other miscellaneous objects of interest.

"No, don't worry one bit. I can take care of all those things."

"You sure? You don't want me watching in case something happens?"

"No, people watching me like that make me lose focus. And I'm sure you know how-?" asked Espér, not needing to finish the question. Uni nodded.

"You know where Bya-chan is? I need to get the bait out now. Our prey is approaching..."

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"Hey, where do you think we should wait for them?" asked Yamamoto.

"Shh. I'll lead the way." Lal moved to the front. The trees loomed over them ominously as they came by. Movements were soon discernable in the dark, unexplored forest. The movements increased; the forest grew alive, like the ghost of itself.

"Who's there?" shouted Ryohei. Everyone readied their weapons, except Lambo. He was "hooded" like an ostrich. Meaning, his head was covered by a bag, and his mouth was sealed shut. That way, he would not interfere with anybody else. In addition, his arms and legs were bound, so he would not come out without being told.

"We will escort you to the area, Vongola. If you resist, your Boss will face certain death." A White Spell squad leader emerged from the forest, along with the White and Black Spell squad. Six squad members took a hold on each of them; Reborn was on the shoulder of Ryohei, and Lambo in the hands of Yamamoto. The rest of the squad then surrounded the group, and the squad leader directed them to their meeting place.

Of course, Gokudera did not like being held so roughly by an enemy. But he shut his mouth for the life of his Boss. Yamamoto frowned at the roughness he was being chained with, but did not resist, knowing this was a way of getting Tsuna back. Ryohei made no noise, for if Tsuna had died right now, there would be no Tsuna in the future, and the whole world would fall apart in a time paradox. Hibari, being a proud and vicious carnivore, forged a life-long grudge for any and all of the Millifore. Lal Mirch growled silently, but took no chance of killing the very life they came to take back. Mukuro did not object at all; surprisingly, he was having fun! With the sadistic grin plastered on his face, he had been planning a sophisticatedly confusing and foolproof plan to defeat the Millifore and Byakuran. However, he had not the chance to finish this plan; they had reached their destination.

It was a clearing. A clearing, bathed in the moonlight of a half-moon. The black forest of grey blossoms and lifeless branches had parted into a small, circular meadow of grass. On one side, the Guardians of the Vongola appeared with their escorts. On the exact other side, four figures stood, barely recognizable in the shade of the flowering trees. Gokudera growled and cursed under his breath.

Byakuran was clearly visible, standing in the middle. To his right, Uni stood diligently by his side. To his left, Espérer held Tsuna from running to the opposition. Tsuna's arms were tied behind his back, and his mouth was gagged.

Tsuna vaguely remembered doing something like this. Something like deja-vu, but not quite. Black forests, a clearing. Meeting the enemy at midnight. The Guardians were all here, and the Vongola Boss was here. Trees, forest. Then he remembered.

"Ah, so you are here, Vongola. I'm sure you brought the Vongola rings?" spoke Byakuran. Glares of hatred were directed at him by the Vongola group.

"Good," smiled Byakuran, "Show me." Four flames were ignited, each showing their attribute.

"Thunder?" asked Byakuran.

"The Thunder Guardian is still too young to conjure a flame," growled Reborn.

"Sun?"

"It is not in this time frame," said Lal.

"Oh well, I'll be leaving then. This is getting boring~! Uni, Espér, stay here for the bargaining for me okay?"

"Sure, Byakuran."

"Hai, Bya-chan!" said Espér with a smile.

"Okay then, I'll be leaving~!" yawned Byakuran. A few seconds of silence, and Espérer said, "Uni, for your own safety, I ask you to leave in the other direction, please."

"Gladly, Espér."

"Okay then, I'll see you around later, okay?"

"'Kay."

"Remember our deal~!"

"Sure thing." And Uni left as well, taking the squad of White and Black Spell with her. Espér, turning towards the Vongola, grinned, "Yup, it's just you and me, guys."

"Juudaime!" called Gokudera.

"Mmmnn..." was all Tsuna could do, for his mouth was gagged with a thin strip of cloth.

"So, where are the rings, Vongola?" The Hawk's Eye materialized in Espér hands, and she held the blade against Tsuna's neck.

"Where are they?!" snarled Espérer, "Or I'll-"

"Don't," warned Ryohei.

"The rings, if you please," she smiled maliciously. Gokudera scowled and took the Storm Ring off his finger. Yamamoto slipped his Rain Ring off as well, and plucking the Ring of Thunder out of Lambo's mess of hair. Mukuro offered his, and Hibari took the Cloud Ring off his finger. Reborn gathered the five Vongola Guardian Rings.

"Your Rings, Espér?" offered Reborn.

"One more~," teased Espérer. The blade came closer into Tsuna's neck. "I won't accept unless all six of the Guardian's rings are in my hands." Reborn scowled at her words.

"Give the ones you have to me then, Reborn." The Arcobaleno resisted, however.

"Now, don't be like that. I'm sure you don't want me to force you?" Reborn stood resolute, not ever going to move.

"It's your fault for this, then, Reborn. You know how I don't like manipulating people..." frowned Espérer, "Now, come to me, Reborn. Give me those rings. I'm sure Bya-chan would be very happy to see them all together..." Reborn took a step. And another. He walked stiffly up to Espérer, who kneeled down, dragging Tsuna with her, and took the rings. He was kneeling to her when she took them, to everyone's shock.

"Rrrrmph!" cried Tsuna.

"R-Reborn-san!" gasped Gokudera. Mukuro and Hibari both regarded this event with silent understanding, though Lal's face was enveloped with surprise.

"And I think Sasagawa Ryohei should be arriving any minute now..." Espér said, when Reborn had backed away and she stood up. Ryohei was suddenly blocked from view with a violent and sudden burst of pink smoke, and a very young (to the ears of the Vongola family for not hearing him for a ridiculously, no, extremely(!) long time) cry of "EXTREEEEME LIGHTS!!"

The younger Ryohei looked around, confused. He scratched his head for a minute, analyzing his surroundings, until, "Hey, what's going on...?"

"MMRRRRRRRRRRHHH!!" screamed Tsuna.

"Lawn-head, don't you even know that Juudaime is in _trouble_?!" yelled Gokudera.

"Maa... maa... Gokudera, no need to yell... We're in a tight and touchy situation right now... I wouldn't like it if she would be angry..." Yamamoto had no idea if their lives could ever be more dangerous than the situation they were in.

"Trouble...?" Ryohei looked around. His eyes found Tsuna, gagged and tied up, with a blade to his neck. He looked at the face of that person, and frowned, "Hey, isn't she that EXTREME(!) person that disappeared with all you guys? The girl that had paused school for fifteen minutes? She seemed pretty nice to Sawada and you guys, too."

"Nice?" scoffed Gokudera, "And here she is again, ransoming Juudaime for the Vongola Rings."

"Eh?" Ryohei was confused...

"The Ring of the Sun," snarled Espérer, "Now."

"Um, okay...?" Ryohei reached into his pocket and showed the Ring of the Sun. Reborn snatched it, giving it to Espérer.

"Thank you, Reborn," smiled Espér, "But I'm afraid I can't return Tsunayoshi. Sorry, Byakuran's orders. I have to go now~! Bye!" Espérer, dragging along Tsuna and slipping the Rings inside her pocket, ran off into the forest.

"Grr.... That |34$-|-4|\*0, running off with_ our _Juudaime!" Gokudera whipped out his dynamite (who knew he still had it?) and his Sistema C.A.I. and went after Espér in hot pursuit. Hibari and Mukuro frowned, but decided to follow in order to get their rings back. They looked pretty awesome on their fingers, too. Reborn went behind them. Ryohei just stood there, stupefied. _What was happening? _Yamamoto looked at him. Deciding what's best for Lambo in his arms, Yamamoto gave Lambo to Ryohei and told him to take care of him, running off to join the chase with a flaming katana. Lal frowned, "Hey, Sun Guardian. We wouldn't want anyone attacking you right now, so let's go. I can find a safe spot to answer your questions."

Ryohei nodded and followed Lal Mirch in another direction, into the woods.

Author's Note: If there is anyone out there suspecting something going on between Lal and Ryohei, no. There's Lambo there, for one. Two, Ryohei still needs to figure out what is going on. So, I'm sorry Ryohei x Lal Mirch people out there, if there are any.

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"Halt! Stop! Hoi, Espér! Stop now! Please!" shouted Yamamoto, however of no avail.

"Juudaime! Hang on! We'll be there!" reassured Gokudera, though panting very hard from running around with such heavy weapons in his hands.

Though dynamite were slower, they were also gentler; therefore less chance of injuring Juudaime. His Sistema C.A.I. was fast but lethal; a direct shot could send Juudaime to the hospital immediately. He took the risk, and grinding his teeth together, he threw the dynamite sticks at Espér. There was no way of catching her by running; she was too fast, too quick, too agile.

She ran up the edge of a hill, cut in half. Now, she was in clear sight, where she could be easily hit.

_BOOM. BOOM. BOOM-BOO-BOOM-BOOM. _Gokudera cursed to himself. Each stick of dynamite had missed. Then he decided to try to throw where Espér would run to when the dynamite would strike it. He decided to try it, throwing another handful of bombs at the invisible target range. _BOOM-BOO-BOO-BOOM. BOOM. _The trees erupted in flame, and a few jumped out of the earth, being devoured by the flames. Espérer was barely in sight now. And then, Espérer let go of Tsuna, throwing him over the now 20-meter cliff.

"Juudaime!"

"Tsuna!"

But, he did not fall. He was suspended in mid-air, just like last time. Gokudera's face changed from one of anxiety to one of horror when the glowing Hawk's Eye came to join Tsuna, once more holding its blade at the neck. Tsuna himself was afraid and horrified, but did not attempt to move, or else the blade might end his life.

This time, Yamamoto decided to try to stop Espérer. He muttered a few things under his breath, and sent his sword flying like a boomerang. The swallow followed it obediently, and the sword eventually found its way to Espérer. It neared to give an attack. When it came by, Espérer ducked, letting the sword fly past. The swallow came in lower, grazing the back of Espérer's hand. Both sword and bird came back to Yamamoto, who had just realized that he had created his first Shigure Shouen Variant.

Espérer growled when Yamamoto's swallow drew blood from the graze on the back of her hand. The Hawk's Eye dug deeper into Tsuna's neck like the scythe of the Grim Reaper, threatening to take the life of the Vongola Boss. Tsuna cried out in pain, being crushed into the air "ground" and not being allowed to go further downwards.

"Juudaime!" cried Gokudera, whose voice held the note of worry and panic. And Reborn commanded, "Gokudera, shut your foul mouth. The more you worry, the more you shout, the happier Espérer will be, the more danger you will put Tsuna in, and the more likely he will die."

"Let me though," said Reborn, "I'll need some space if you want to see Dame-Tsuna again." Gokudera and Yamamoto obediently slowed down a bit to let Reborn through. Then, Reborn disappeared.

He reappeared right above Espérer's head, cocking Leon (who had changed into a gun), and aiming it into Espér's head. And he fired.

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Hah, finished the 17th chapter of the story!!

xD

Indeed, I am genuinely happy.

^^;;

Anyways, please be patient for the next chapter again. I need time to brainstorm the next ten chapters, so please be courteous. I'll update them when I finish, ASAP!

XD

Well, have a nice day, and please review!!

Reviews are good to me like chocolate!!

xD

MERRY (late) CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!!


	20. Act 18: Side to Side

Wahh! I'm back with the EIGHTEENTH CHAPTER OF the story!

xDD

Hm. I don't own KHR. However, I do own Espérer.

Espér: Um... ehh... well I do think that we should do something about the closet *smiles and motions towards the closet

Hm. That is very true. Mrrh, I'll be back.

Espérer: While she is gone, please hurry and read this chapter. I fear for the pages' safety... Have fun!! *smiles

xDD

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The sound of the gunshot echoed across to the other side of the forest, where the four Guardians were. They were able to see and hear nearly perfectly in the half-light of the moon, but all had a cold feeling of the ominous unknown of the future. Gokudera and Hibari cursed under their breath, and Mukuro and Yamamoto frowned. They sped up, anxiously peering at Espérer and Reborn, then at Tsuna.

Espér had survived unscathed. Reborn now was directly behind her in hot pursuit. Tsuna, meanwhile, was in an uncomfortable position, for the Hawk's Eye was too far into his neck; one little nudge could send Tsuna to his death. Luckily, Reborn had ceased his shooting, for Espérer was the one in control of the hostage.

They went on running, on and on through the forest. The cliff gradually disappeared into the earth. Now, Reborn once again ran with the four Guardians. Then ahead appeared a cliff, so sudden a wall of rock that it was impossible to climb. Espérer suddenly whipped around, however the Guardians and Reborn were quick in their steps as well; they had spread out, cornering Espérer. Tsuna floated above their heads.

"Hand over Juudaime right now!"

"Kufufufufu.... so our little Espér-chan thinks that she can outsmart the Vongola?"

"I'll bite you to death."

"See, Espérer? This is the end." However Espér smiled, even in the midst of her opponents.

"I'm so glad that I can see my family again, even if it _is _my Onii-san's Vongola. But to see them turned against me, who has done so much for you," Espérer's tone suddenly intensified into anger, "I see no reason for the whole lot of you to go... to... HELL." She glared for a second, but sighed and sat down against the wall of stone, gazing up to the starry heavens.

"This is not like me. Not like me at all. Not like me to seek revenge. Not like me to break a promise. Not like me to do this much for a boss like that..." she sighed, "It won't matter at all if I disappear from the earth forever... I don't deserve the love and caring of others. I've done so many things that I wished that I had not done... And yet, I still yearn to live the life of a regular, human being. Now, I am wholly the opposite. I can control flame, open boxes with them, levitate, and had helped Bya-chan create his empire. Slay me. I will not blame thee, for the crime committed by thyself hath told the heavens that thy no longer deserves to reach Heaven peacefully." The four Vongola Guardians and Reborn lowered their weapons, looking at Espérer in her state of honest surrendering and disappointment. The Hawk's Eye was gently released from Tsuna's neck and returned to Espér's hand. Even then, Espérer made no move to hurt. She was curled up in a ball, with her head raised up to the heavens, as if carving every detail into her mind before she is taken to Hell.

Reborn alone did not ease his caution and suspicion. He has seen many like Espér, who "give up" and attack their enemies when their guard is down. He said, "Espérer, no fooling around. I know that your evil heart is planning an atrocity, a malevolent act of ill bringing. The irrevocable sins that you have done will never leave you, becoming the conflagration that will eat you alive and haunt you for all eternity. The malevolently cunning are whom I despise; for it is they, who are consummates of the very Devil."

"And for what reason, Reborn, greatest of the hitmen, did you just question the authority of a superior being? I caught the slightest of evincing that I, Nera-Noir Espérer, am a vile felon. I wish not to start accusing you, my dear, but these matters are something that should be, and is, unfathomable and imperceptible to the human brain. If, by the split chance of pure luck, that one does, then they will be marked Hubris and sent to the inescapable depths of the Dimensions of Hell. I'm sure you have no wish to become one of those?" smiled Espérer, still gazing upon the black night filled with stars and the light of the half-moon. Reborn shook his head, knowing that, _She's gone wild. Her mind's gone crazy._

"Only if... only if... only if Master would come..." She lowered her gaze, and looked at each of the faces around her. Then she rested her head on her knees. A long moment of silence, and...

"M-Master?" wondered Mukuro. Espér shot a fierce glance at him.

"Hmm."

"Hayato-nii-san..." Espérer tilted her head to look at him, "Can you release Uri? She's getting restless."

"I'm not going to, unless you let Juudaime down."

"Okay then." Espérer let the immobile Tsuna touch the ground. However, when Gokudera moved forward to get him, he was prevented to do so by an invisible barrier.

"You never said so, Hayato-nii-san. Now, keep your side of the deal, please." Gokudera gave the speaker a glare, and let Uri out. Uri meowed in gratitude, and came to Espérer.

"U-U-Uri?!?! What are you doing? Befriending the enemy?! I am going to have to punish you soundly for that!" growled the Storm Guardian. Uri looked back at her owner, and meowed pitifully. Gokudera frowned, but ceased shouting.

"Master..." gasped Espér. And Uri jumped into her outstretched arms. Uri hugged Espér, and Espérer hugged her back. For the Master to meet the Follower after so many years, this was something indeed to be excited about.

For a long time they stayed in that embrace. Espérer's eyes were closed, but when they opened, they were that soft violet color again. They looked at each other once more, and Espér put Uri down. Uri meowed again. Espérer looked at Tsuna, and released his bindings. Tsuna wriggled free, and groaned.

"Itetete..." winced Tsuna. Gokudera rushed to his Juudaime, repeating, "Juudaime! Juudaime! Are you alright?" He proceeded to inspect him for injuries. Espérer sighed and threw back her head.

"Uni? Uni. Uni, if you can hear me right now, I'll be going. I have business to attend to. In my timeline, I'll see you in ten years..." Espér smiled weakly, leaning back on the face of the cliff and stretching her legs. She turned back to the Vongola.

"All of you, please step back. I do not wish to hurt you... I also advise covering the ears, unless you are deaf." And with that, Espérer opened her mouth and started to sing. Of course, nobody could hear her, as their ears were covered. Thirteen bright, colored balls of fire appeared, dancing around Espérer. They came together, and the light scattered. Espérer closed her eyes. A ball of white, intense light formed around the girl and expanded, swallowing the people around her into its body of light. That ball of light grew and grew and grew, like the inflation of a balloon by means of a hydrogen gas pump.

When the light subsided enough for the Guardians and Reborn to see, they could see that Espérer was unconscious, lying on her side. Her body showed no signs of obvious movement.

"AH! Espérer-san!" Tsuna stepped towards her body, "Are you alright? Hello? Hello?! Espér-san? Espér-san...? Hello? Es-" Then the fact washed over him. _She's dead. _Tsuna shook his head violently. _No, she can't be, no. No! I-I have to get her somewhere safe, where she can recover._

"J-Juudaime?" said his Storm Guardian.

"No, no she can't be dead... no... I have to get her to a hospital or something!" He rushed forward, but halted. Uri had emerged, fur standing on end, hair bristling menacingly, teeth bared, hissing and spitting with all her might.

"Uri! No! I've told you a million times already – _never_ ever ever be mean to Juudaime! – Juudaime, I'M SORRY! – Uri, you are going back into the box! Do you hear me?!"

"G-Gokudera-kun..." said Tsuna, with a raised eyebrow.

"Maa, maa, Gokudera! Aren't there other things to do aside from shouting all the time?" Yamamoto smiled. This time, he was smiling for another reason. He's grown smart. From now on, it's going to take much more effort for Gokudera to retort something back at him...

Gokudera scowled. He turned to Tsuna and walked past him, proceeding to try and capture Uri. He retreated with an injured hand. Uri, on the other hand, was standing beside Espérer's motionless body with triumph, proudly displaying a white fang and a red fang. Tsuna offered to try to bandage Gokudera's hand temporarily, but he refused. It was a while before someone spoke.

"Kufufufu... It seems that Cavallone was worried," announced Mukuro. Reborn nodded.

"A helicopter, I might add," said the Arcobaleno. The telltale whirring of the helicopter blades came nearer and nearer, with a bright searchlight illuminating the forest trees, giving personality and reality to the flowers blossoming in the forest trees. Soon, the helicopter was visible through the gap in the trees, and they could see Dino, Lal, and the young Ryohei of Namimori Middle.

"Tsuna! You alright?!" cried Dino.

"Ah! Dino-san! We're all fine, but Gokudera-kun needs to bandage his hand and Espérer-san... I think she needs help!" Tsuna shouted over the whirring of the helicopter blades.

"Then, I'll send people down to get you guys! Just stay put!" Dino replied. A rope ladder was lowered, and Dino cried, "Tsuna, climb it! We'll get Espérer when everyone's up here!"

"No! I won't! I'll go when Espér's up there!" said Tsuna. The growing uneasiness in the back of his head started to gnaw at him.

"Juudaime!" Gokudera cried in surprise, "Then, if Juudaime is not going, then I'm not going until he goes!"

"Hey, it won't feel right if I go without Tsuna and Tako-head," Yamamoto stated with a big victory grin on his face. Gokudera twitched.

Long moment of silence...

Dino blinked and looked at Hibari and Mukuro.

"Ah, I know the way back," and Hibari excused himself, disappearing into the dark forest unaccompanied.

"Do I have to walk?" Mukuro contemplated, "I guess not." He disappeared. Dino then turned to Reborn.

"You know that I can't climb that. And, I don't even need it." Reborn disappeared from the earth and reappeared on the helicopter. Dino sighed.

"Okay, okay, fine, Tsuna. You've made your point. Come on, people." The rope ladder was pulled back, and instead, a large white sheet, held by two beams of wood balanced on the single rope it was lowered on, slowly came down. Dino came down with it.

"Hey," said Dino, "So, Espérer needs help?" Tsuna nodded.

"Okay." He carefully approached Espérer's body. Uri bristled and hissed again.

"WOAH. Wha- Oh. What's this little guy doing here?" asked Dino.

"That's Gokudera's pet. She's called Uri," smirked Yamamoto.

"_Box weapon_," corrected Gokudera. Tsuna was silent.

"Okay, so how exactly do I get Espérer then, Gokudera?" frowned Dino.

"You can cut down on the Storm Flame you're feeding it. That way, Uri's still outside of the box and not in the way," suggested Tsuna. Gokudera was surprised by the sudden comment from Juudaime. He said, "Of course! Juudaime is so smart! Of course I'll do what Juudaime says!" And with a rub on the head and a bit of praise he hadn't had for a long time, Tsuna gave a small smile to Gokudera.

Uri's eyes drooped, and she sat down, rubbing her eyes. Dino inched closer. Nothing. Dino came even closer. Nothing. He was no more than a few meters away from Uri now. The no matter how near he came, Dino saw no offensive action from the box weapon. As long as he moved slowly, carefully, and surely, he had nothing to fear. Dino came to about a meter and a half from the unmoving body. He took a few more steps. Uri now roused herself from her mysterious slumber and yawned, rubbing her droopy eyes once more.

Dino took another silent step. Uri looked up, to see a humongous blonde giant loom over her. She hissed, hair instinctively raising all along her back. Dino was about to take another step, when....

"D-Dino-san? Wha-" And the Cavallone Boss tripped backwards. A dull thump resounded throughout the forest.

"Ouch..." Dino groaned. He looked around and found that Gokudera finally seized Uri and was currently lecturing her. Tsuna and Yamamoto were lifting Espérer into the white sheet. Dino shakily got up, and Yamamoto greeted, "Oh, Dino-san! You're okay, then?" Dino wearily nodded. _This has been happening since childhood... OMG how many times have I been humiliated in front of people?!_

"Well, I hope Espérer-san is okay..." Tsuna cast his eyes down to the earth.

"Don't worry! That extremely irritable girl can make it out of anything! Even if I haven't seen her for a long time!" cheered Gokudera rather helpfully. For some reason, Uri was nowhere to be found.

"Well, she _is _rather remarkable..." agreed Yamamoto. Dino ruffled Tsuna's head and said, "You better grow an outer shell sometime. War is a time when you especially need it." Tsuna nodded, trying to discern the meaning behind the words.

"Hey, guys! You can lift away now!" called Dino. The white sheet left the reach of the four on the ground, finally disappearing into the helicopter. The rope ladder once more descended. This time, Tsuna willingly climbed onto it. After climbing about a meter-and-a-half, Gokudera leaped on, and Yamamoto came after. Dino climbed on, and the helicopter flew away to the Cavallone mansion.

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Hmm.... well that was the eighteenth chapter of the story!! xD

Espér: Well, controlled arson on the closet was a very good idea, especially where we burned the bathroom to ashes...

Yeah, I agree. But what should we do next?

Espér: Hm, I think I've gotten an idea... heh. ^^

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE! AND PLZ R&R!!

xD


	21. Act 19: The Report that Wasn't

Eh, well this is the nineteenth chapter of our little long story!! xD

Oh dear, I'm so happy that this actually lasted this long!! xDD

Hm, well, happy reading everyone!

I don't own KHR.

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The group burst through the elaborate wooden doors of the hospital branch once more, transporting Espérer to the immediate medical attention for analysis of her condition. The best caution was taken, as she is at the border of life and death. The slightest jolt could stop the feeble beating of her heart, if there were any in the first place. Espérer was placed in custody of the grateful and somber doctors and nurses, and the group flopped down in the waiting room.

Tsuna was anxious; he still hasn't sorted out what had happened clearly enough. He had been through "water torcher," whatever that is. Everything still seemed so surreal, and yet so real. Nevertheless, he didn't want anyone dying, no, not on his watch. Dino sat down on another chair, also reasoning out the past events together into one, long, understandable cause-and-effect chain. He soon stood up and left silently. Reborn's eyes hid under the shade of the fedora, whilst his mouth was frowning as he frowned when he found out something had happened to the Ninth in the Ring Battles. He said nothing. Lal Mirch was curiously not present. Ryohei had already left with directions to the weightlifting room. Yamamoto was examining his katana; it was, in fact, the very one that he had gotten from that mysterious person that fixed his other katana. He was busy polishing it and cleaning it, sharpening its edge to its best. Gokudera sat down and laid back on the couch, with a smoking cigarette hanging in his mouth. He was contemplating the past events, at the same time wishing that Uri would behave.

Uri, who had been sent into the hospital with Espérer at her side, was only curled up into a tiny ball, too deprived of energy to move too actively. The doctors put Espérer and Uri onto a bed and readied a scanning machine. A few other doctors were reading a file, with Nera-Noir stamped on the side.

"-says that she was too delicate to touch? Probably Stealth spies from the Millifore had gotten to her, and she disappeared, as it says in the record."

"No, I say that's baloney. Anyways, we've recently gotten new equipment, and we should figure out what's wrong."

"But still-"

"What I say, goes."

"Yes, signor."

They readied an enormous flat laser projector, with red light filtering out of one of the flat sides. They positioned it above Espérer's bed, to the right. They moved in closer and closer to the edge of the bed, until one of the doctors remarked, "Hey, what about that cat? We should get it." A nurse ventured forth, and retreated, shaken from the sharp snarl given by the cat.

"W-We can do it up to the cat's paw on one side, and we can do the other side as well."

"Sure." The machinery moved to the other side, and came closer to the hand outstretched from the center of the bed. It touched the fingernail only slightly, and a chain reaction formed. An invisible force started to nibble the fingernail, and the more it ate the faster it devoured the nail. For a fraction of a second, the force was allowed to eat. But then, a knife came smashing down, cutting off the eating thing its food. The finger itself had been unharmed; the fingernail roots were lucky to have survived.

"N-Now what?" said one doctor.

"Well, now we know that she's untouchable."

"True."

"Then, what will we do to confirm her status?"

"Yeah, what will we do?"

"Does anyone know where the echo room is?"

"Yeah! We might be able to hear her heart beat in the echo room!"

"How will we know if her brain is functioning properly? I mean, if she really lives, can she function?"

"We can put her through the CT scan."

"Good idea. As expected of a guy with three PhD's and two Masters in four years of college."

"Thank you, signor." And with that, Espérer was carefully carted off to the echo room. Uri scratched her way out of the nurse's grip and leaped majestically onto the bed as it passed through the double doors. A half hour passed, and yielded no results. The group of doctors grouped together and started discussing the matter very seriously. They agreed that one will report to the Cavallone Boss, three will search for signs of life in Espérer, and the rest attend to the other patients.

I must remark, poor doctor. The reactions of the Cavallone Boss and his friends will be overwhelming.

That poor man, with three PhD's and two Masters, walked down the white hall hesitant to reach the end. However, it is inevitable to get there, and before he knew it, the doctor was opening the door to the waiting rooms. He poked his head out and said, "Hello? Don Cavallone? Signor Cavallone? Are you there? Or is there anybody here?"

"Eh... who are you...?" The college graduate looked around, then found a boy no more than fifteen sitting on the couch, looking at him.

"Err... well... I'm a doctor that works here..." the young man replied.

"I meant your name, sorry."

"Eh... some people call me Fez or Danté, but my full name is Fedele Danté Giulio. Pleased to meet you...?"

"Sawada Tsunayoshi," the boy said. Danté stammered, "W-W-Whaa?? I thought... noo... but then, a-are you not D-Don V-Vongola D-Decimo?" The boy nodded. The white-haired boy sitting on another couch nearby opened his eyes.

"Oh! Gokudera! You're awake!" said the boy. The white-haired boy blinked a few times, and said, "Ah, Juudaime! Who's this?"

"Ah-eh... this is um, Danté or something? Gomenasai, I can't really remember..."

"It's okay... I'm Fedele Danté Giulio. Pleased to meet you...?"

"Gokudera Hayato," the boy said quickly, before the white-haired one said anything.

"Oh, okay." Fedele frowned, "No, wait... Aren't you.... his right hand man, and also that- no, never mind."

"I was a what?" the white-haired boy snarled.

"Nothing, err...... Signor Gokudera."

"Hmmph...." The white-haired boy turned his head in the other direction. A period of awkward silence. The courageous doctor, set on accomplishing his task, broke it.

"A-Ano.... w-what should I call you, er, Vongola Decimo?"

"Tsuna's just fine," answered the boy.

"I shouldn't address Don Vongola in such a manner, really."

"Then, Sawada?" The doctor shook his head. "Sawada-san?" No. "Tsuna-san?" No. "Eh, then ask Gokudera-kun." The man turned to the white-haired boy. He blinked a few times.

"Ehh, should I have the pleasure to address you as Signor Gokudera?" ventured the young doctor. The white-haired boy turned to the doctor.

"Whatever."

"Hm, Signor Vongola I shall call you, then, Signor Vongola," the doctor told the boy. He nodded. Another awkward silence.

"Eh, Signor Vongola, Signor Gokudera, I-I have a report for the current status on a Nera-Noir Espérer for Signor Cavallone... I was w-"

"EH?! Is Espér okay?" the boy suddenly burst with a gush of concern. The white-haired boy turned to the doctor with such an abruptness, that it was hard to think that he was not interested.

"Ahem... eh, we have been trying our best, however we still have no idea whether she is alive or not. Her heartbeats might be too silent to hear, and her breathing might be a bit shallow; however, that is looking towards the optimistic side. She is most likely dead, aside from one fact: her body is still warmer than room temperature, though only by a fraction of a degree. And, I believe, Signor Gokudera's box weapon is still inside-" the doctor smiled a bit when he mentioned this bit"-and I might also add that we have moved her to a germ-free environment. If you wish to see her, we must take extra precautions to keep the area free of contaminants..."

"So even the doctors here can't figure out whether she's still alive or not..." mumbled the white-haired boy.

"Um, I also have something to report to Signor Cavallone directly, if I may be able to find him, Signor Vongola...." he gave a little smile.

"Eh, I think Dino-"

"Hey, Tsuna!" And in walked another boy, about the same age, with a katana in hand. "Hey, who's this?" One of his eyebrows were raised in question.

"I'm Fedele Danté Giulio, one of the doctors that work here. And I'm pleased to meet you...?"

"Yamamoto Takeshi, that's what I'm called."

"So you are Signor Yamamoto?"

"You can put it that way."

"Well, uh, I'm here to give a report about the current information we have on a Nera-Noir Espérer, Signor Yamamoto..."

"Espér?! Is she alright?" The tall boy made his way to the couch, and sat down, brows furled.

"She could be dead or alive, Yamamoto," stated the first boy.

"Oh."

"Hmmph. So that's all you can say about this?" snarled the white-haired boy.

"Well, we don't have enough information. How could I say any more if there is no information to relate it to? I can't just go around jumping to conclusions," stated the tall boy. The white-haired boy remained silent. The first boy smiled and chuckled.

"Reborn, I know you're here somewhere. Come out, we'll be leaving soon. I want to see Espérer." Then, the voice of the Arcobaleno resounded in the waiting room, "Good job, Dame-Tsuna. Being concerned about your family is a good trait to being a good mafia boss."

The boy frowned. "Even if I _do _become a mafia boss in the future, Reborn, it doesn't necessarily mean that I became one by choice."

"Who said you had a choice, Dame-Tsuna?" The Arcobaleno took off his color-changing cape that had been draped on him and set it to the side. The cape changed into the small form of a lizard and it crawled back onto Reborn's fedora.

"Is this... the famous Arcobaleno, Reborn?! I thought-"

"Lambo's bazooka problem."

"Ahh...." The doctor nodded knowingly. The Arcobaleno turned to the white-haired boy.

"Is there a specific reason why you are so suddenly so cool and composed at the moment, Gokudera?" The Arcobaleno looked like he was about to burst out laughing, but held it in tightly. The Arcobaleno chuckled. The white-haired boy scowled.

"Eh, I think that we should know this boy a little more, shall we? Fez, may we?" inquired the Arcobaleno. The doctor nodded enthusiastically.

"Not too much, please. I acknowledge that they are not experienced enough to understand some of it."

"So do I."

"You may begin, Signor Reborn."

"Hm. Fedele Danté Giulio. Roman bloodline, if I am correct. Accomplished doctor in many areas of science, including medicine, the anatomy and behavior of a variety of animals, chemistry, surgery, biology, etc. Able to speak many different languages, including Japanese, which we are using right now, Italian, Latin, German, French, Spanish, Greek, English, Runic, many of the widespread American Indian languages, Portuguese, Arabic, Chinese, and more than five dozen dialects. Has exceptional arithmetic calculating speeds, and sometimes studies the stars with astronomers twice his age. He had graduated from college with three PhD degrees and two Master degrees in four years, simultaneously inventing a number of new poisons and lethal objects that have been in use for the last decade. He also has interest in music, and utilizes the knowledge he had obtained from college to compose the music scientifically proven to please the ear. His logic is known throughout the world for solving even the most difficult cases in mere days. He is currently only 19 years old.

"Of course, when you look at his physical appearance, he is not likely to be an athlete. He is not. However, in emergencies, he can run possibly a little bit faster than the average human can."

"So, this Fedele Danté Giulio is a child prodigy?" the white-haired boy raised an eyebrow.

"Not only that, but more. He had been asked to be part of the Varia when he was five, also the time he was entering college. At the time, we all are aware of the fact that Xanxus still was frozen solid at that time. Therefore, Squalo suggested that he be made the new boss, and that this Fez will take his open place. Then, he was too young to join properly, so Vongola Nono ordered that Fez would be allowed to join only after finishing college. However, when the four years were over, Xanxus was revived, as we all know. He resumed his place as boss, and Fez did not join the Varia."

"Woah..." observed the tall boy and the first boy.

"What is his primary weapon?" asked the white-haired boy.

"Throwing objects, such as knives-" the white-haired boy scowled at this "-darts, poles, etc. He has achieved an impossibly high level of dexterity and skill at this, not to mention his expertise at setting traps and silencer traps. Were he to take the place of Squalo in the Varia, he would be a perfect match for a Rain Guardian job."

"But I have no ambition for that, Reborn. I only want to keep a humble job as this, to be able to save lives."

"True, however your cunning and calculating self as a Mafioso can serve as a counter-argument here," said the Arcobaleno. The doctor smiled.

"Of course, my abilities are nothing to Signor Reborn here."

"Well, for a regular human mortal such as you, your skill can be accounted for as almost godly and nearly certain to be unhuman." The doctor chuckled at this.

"No, I'm not so good as to receive praise from Signor Reborn..."

"Well, I thought Dame-Tsuna wanted to see how Espérer was doing. Fez, will you please lead us to the room in which she lays?"

"With pleasure, Signor Reborn." The doctor opened the door, motioning for the four to go through. After they all came out into the hallway, the doctor carefully shut the door and led the way to the room. However, they had gone through a "gate," which had "de-germed" the group before entering this branch of the building. They wormed through quite a number of hallways before arriving at the doorway to a room. He opened it, and a number of doctors were crowded around the bed.

"Hey, hey! Don Vongola and two of his Guardians have come to visit Espérer here. Please be polite," grinned the young doctor. The crowd of medical scientists immediately quieted down.

"I do think that she's alive, Fez," said one of the doctors. The young doctor raised an eyebrow in surprise. The white-haired boy directly went up to Espérer, taking a fistful of her clothes into his hands, and held her up to his nose.

"You better tell me what you did to Juudaime, brat," growled the white-haired boy.

"Er.. Gokudera..."

"Gokudera!" the Arcobaleno snapped, "She's probably not even there to hear you demand that. You don't have reason enough to do that; Dame-Tsuna is perfectly fine, as we can see." The white-haired boy scowled.

"However," continued the Arcobaleno, who climbed onto the hospital bed and on the patient's chest, taking a fistful of clothing, and pulled their noses to about an inch apart, "I know you know something. And I'm going to get it, that is, if you ever pull out of this." He turned and left, saying, "Come on, you three. We need to put the time we have to good use. Meet me in the training room in five minutes."

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Quite a few days flew by, with the training and such. Espér showed no signs of life, and Uri stayed by her side nevertheless. Gokudera, as time passed, grew more and more exhausted keeping Uri out of her box. However, there was a day when Gokudera had woken up in the morning fully rested and in a better mood than the last few days of training.

That day, the Mist guardian was alarmed. He was sure something was going to happen. The Cloud guardian was as ever gone. The Sun guardian was being caught up with all the information of the era, including how to handle boxes. The Storm, as I had said above, was much easier to handle that day. The Rain guardian was cautious; with a Gokudera a little more cheerful, a storm might be brewing. The Boss was gone for the day, out in the wilderness by himself to train. Dino, Yamamoto, and Gokudera were skeptical about their Boss going out without anybody to watch his back, however Reborn had pointed out how well Tsuna had dealt with Spanner's troop of Strau Moscas.

It was sundown, and the song of the birds wishing each other a good night rang throughout the forest. Tsuna still hasn't returned. Gokudera, Yamamoto, and Dino knew that he had to return by nightfall, and nightfall was drawing near. Each of them carried on with their business as usual.

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Hm, well this was the nineteenth chapter of our little story!! xD

R&R pplz!

Espérer: Yawn~ I want to do something to the Closet peoplez...

I know, me too. But we have to think up a good way of doing something. xD

Espér: Oh, I know!! Let's have the reviewers tell us what to do to the closet peoplez!

Yeah, that's right! And free virtual pineapples for all those who participate!! xD

It's the Pineapple Torcher Voting Sweepstakes!! (you do not need to buy anything to join this sweepstakes) [OF 2009!!]

xD

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!


	22. Act 20: Failed Escape

Wao, it's the twentieth chapter – ALREADY!! xD

I was a little sad nobody reviewed, but I can't wait forever…

So, here's Act 20~

Espér: Love for everyone! xD

I do not own KHR.

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The girl in the bed was motionless, and her skin was cold. The temperature gradually rose in her body; from a 70-degree Fahrenheit room temperature, she came to a healthy 97-degree level. Her eyes fluttered open. Uri was gone; she might have returned to her energy-supplier because of lack of energy. She looked around and blinked once more.

Her red eyes darted from one object to another, and she slowly sat up in the bed. She registered that she had been taken to a hospital. But not just any hospital.

A wave of urgency and fear hit her full in the face. Her eyes widened. She quickly scrambled out of the bed. She was still in her clothes: a long black overcoat with ivory shoulder guilds decorated in gold, a white Hellfire logo (not a real brand, at least in my knowledge) long-sleeved shirt, and a pair of dark jeans with a dragon design made of gold thread sown on. She rushed out of the room, closing the door behind her as silently as she could. Her wave of blonde hair flew after her obediently and as silently as the passing of a light spring breeze.

In her mind, the Cavallone mansion of Sicily floor plan was pictured clearly in her inner mind, and she headed straight to her destination. This time, she had no use to see the family. Danger was near. Her movements were now more of the cold and brisk winter winds of the blizzard. She felt certain that the family would feel some sort of de-ja vu; therefore, she had to be stealthy and cautious, also to reserve her remaining energy. This time, on her way to her destination, she had glimpsed a few nurses, who had quickly run away to inform the Boss.

She chuckled inwardly and continued on her way.

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The two nurses that had seen the figure making her way through the mansion hospital branch had dashed away to inform Dino, who had been in his office.

"Signor Cavallone! S-Signor Cavallone!" screamed one as she burst through the double doors.

"What is it?" asked Dino, as he looked up from his paperwork.

"I-It's Espérer. She's out of her room, and out wandering in the halls! She looks like she'll escape!" said the other nurse.

"Quickly, inform everyone else, including the Vongola family. They'll know how to deal with this, especially that Mist Guardian," said Dino.

"O-Of course, Signor Cavallone! Come on, let's go," said the first nurse, and they both left. They had first bumped into Yamamoto.

"Ah! Signor Yamamoto! Espérer's out to escape! Tell everyone else in your family, hurry! We have to go stop her!" Soon after, Yamamoto ran to the library and sought out Gokudera.

"Hey, Gokudera!" said Yamamoto.

"What is it?!" hissed the Storm Guardian.

"I heard that Espér's gone and is trying to escape the mansion! We have to go stop her!"

"What, is this the second time?! We have to go catch her!" said Gokudera, "^&$k, that d%n b$^&*d Byakuran wants her back so badly..."

"Well, we have to tell everyone else as well, Gokudera..."

"You know what? I bet Uri's still with Espérer. I can follow the trail where my flames are going."

"Sure."

"The bad thing is, I can't sense any trail. My flames are not being absorbed by anything at all. And I have no idea where Uri is now."

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Mukuro paced the room repeatedly. _Something bad is going to happen, I know it. Something bad, but what? What is going to happen? _He leaned against the bedroom wall that bordered the hallway. He tilted his head to the left, parallel to the wall. He heard rustling. _Friction. Something, or someone, is coming._ He heard voices. As the two nurses outside neared the wall, he could distinguish words.

"...the patient..."

"..I know, weird..."

"...that Espérer..."

"...Mmhhmm..."

"...weird..."

"...escaping like that...?"

"...how'd she do that...?"

And Mukuro knew. _So this was it? Oh, this is bad, oh so very bad. I couldn't sense her at all; she's that weak... I have to find her before she runs into trouble. After all, she has the only key we are enabled to get to reach the past. _He tossed on a jacket and burst out of his room, simultaneously grabbing his trident on the way out. He set off first, for Dino's office.

He slammed a door open and strode into the room. Mukuro looked the shocked Dino in the eye and demanded, his words quick to follow the other, "Did this mansion ever have any renovations since it had been built?"

"W-Well, not really, aside from installing security systems, electricity-"

"No, I mean rooms." Mukuro smiled crookedly, sure to get his answer.

"Eh-eh, not really, howe-"

"Any rooms with its purpose and use altered?"

"Y-Yes, in fact, quite a lot."

"Do you know where the stables used to be in this mansion?"

"I do think I have an old map of the mansion after the main renovations."

"Show me, quickly." Dino rushed to a corner of a bookshelf and took out a scroll.

"Here." He held it out to Mukuro. He opened it and looked it through. _Good; two walls obstructing the path and no more stables. _Mukuro set the scroll on Dino's desk and started to calculate where Espér would end up on her way to her destination.

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The girl, on her way to her destination met a wall. In her path, that is. She could sense somebody powerful moving closer to her spot. She had to deal with this obstruction quickly. She created a hole in the wall, and she climbed through into the weight room. She looked around, shocked, but dashed past the equipment, out the exit, and on her way once more.

Mukuro was not so far behind her; he saw the hole in the wall and climbed in after her. He was able enough to see the corner of a coat disappear past the doorway. The chase was on.

The other wall had been dealt with in the same fashion; however the chased turned at a spot that Mukuro had not anticipated. She turned out, near the exit of the mansion. Mukuro sped up as well as he could, however only crashed into Gokudera and Yamamoto.

"Watch where you're going, kids," growled Mukuro, "Can't you see that I almost got her, until you two came along?!" And he ran off. Gokudera and Yamamoto looked to each other in confusion, but decided to try to catch Espér as well. However, Gokudera and Yamamoto looked around and found no Espér, only Mukuro chasing who-knows-what.

The girl Mukuro was chasing was a little too far for him to catch; Mukuro had the chance to see her slam the entrance gates open and run out to the courtyard. He followed her. She ran and ran, to the limits of the lawn. She called out something unintelligible, all the while running in the direction she had shouted. A pure white horse, possibly even ghostly, appeared from behind the shrubbery and vegetation in the forest beyond. The girl ran straight into the forest, straight to the horse. She leaped on its back and urged it to run into the forest. Mukuro cursed to himself and placed the trident low in the air, parallel to the ground. He leaped on and sped off after the horse.

Mukuro was slowly speeding up; he was riding something powered with flame, and the girl was riding a mortal animal. According to Mukuro, this logic had applied to the two. Nevertheless, the chaser was catching up, and the chased was losing distance.

"Cortienne!" cried Mukuro. The girl took no heed.

"Cortienne!" he called again. She ignored it once more.

"Cortienne, what are you doing?!" Mukuro had been ignored once again.

"Please, at least speak to me!" Ignored.

"I don't know what you're doing, but please, say something! I have to know if you're okay!" He was ignored. The Mist Guardian was getting exasperated.

"I-I'm sure that your brother wouldn't like his little sister being rude to his friends, Cortienne." He hit the mark.

"I'm not being rude just to be rude just for the sake of it, Mukuro!"

"Then why are you running? You're not under anybody's control!"

"What do you think?! The Estreano have captured the Cavallone mansion! I have to find Onii-san!"

"Wha-"

"Have you a brain the size of a peanut?! And I can't believe that you were chosen as a Guardian!"

"Cortienne-"

"Don't you 'Cortienne' me, you mad scientist, you traitor! And you call yourself a decent care-taker?! You yourself had once been an Estreano, and I am perfectly familiar with their ways!"

"No, that's all-"

"Wrong, I daresay?! Then why are you chasing me?! You knew of the barriers, didn't you?! You hoped to capture me and take me to your _real_ boss! All I have to do is go to Onii-san! That's it!" By now, Mukuro had caught up with the girl. He knocked her off the horse, and he alighted off his trident. The trident dropped to the ground, and Mukuro took the frightful girl's shoulders in his hands.

He looked her in the eye and said, "Cortienne, I'm not sure what happened to you in your mind, but I'm sure that a nice, hot, steaming bowl of-"

"Chicken soup? Broth? _Clam Chowder? _It has poison in it, that's what it is. I know. For countless times before, you have done the same thing over and over again. It's an enzyme to kill me, isn't it? It's a drug, a pill, the poison of a unicorn's horn, isn't it? But it never works, and you put more and more of it in the soup. In reality, it protects me from that poison. You can't kill me with the poison you've mistakenly protected me from. And I'll faint, and you'll always do something to my mind, like brainwashing and playing around with personal secrets and memories, right?! **Right?!**"

"No, that's all wrong. I purposely put poison in it, so you won't be poisoned by enemies. At the same time, it calms you down, and your mental state wouldn't be unstable anymore. A-"

"Ever since Onii-san had dumped me on you, I've become your personal little tester. You would do all these weird little things to me, and I would be tied to bed for two months. You'll say that Onii-san could not know about this, and he would not ever be able to see his Pearl for a whole two months, and he would worry for those two months to the point of being more dead than alive! You-You monster! You traitor, you disgusting, sly little rat! I'll have you dead once Onii-san hears of this! _Mukuro, let go of me right now! __**Mukuro!**_"

"No, no, no shh... Cortienne, please. Let me calm you down. You know it makes me sad to see you like this. I-I like you, like a little sister of our little family, like-like Chrome and Ken and Chikusa. I don't want you angry or sad or full of hateful thoughts. Okay, okay I'll get you your favorite treat, okay? I'll get you ice cream, cake, chocolate, whatever you would like to-"

"Oh, so now you're being a 'third father'?! My first father, by bloodline, died because of your family. My second father, Onii-san, was too caught up in his work to do anything at all for me. And you, my third father, a traitor to the family, a murderer, and an enemy to me and the Family. I-I just want to live another life, a new life. I want to live a new life without giving away mine. My life as the Pearl has taught nothing but hurt and untrustworthiness. Please, let me go. I must go to Onii-san. Now, Mukuro."

"I cannot allow that, Cortienne, I'm sorry."

"Do you want him to die, Mist?!"

"Die?"

"Yes, die! Only if you would listen closely, I had been talking not only of the Estreano."

"But how might he be dying then?!"

"The boss of the dominant Mafioso family of the world, that's who."

"Byakuran, you mean?!"

"Who is this... Byakuran?"

"Okay, if you drink some of this-" Mukuro held up a glass vial of clear liquid, held shut with a cork. "-then you'll know."

"No!"

"Oh, you will, my dear." At this, Mukuro lunged at the girl. She was pinned on the ground, but she still could struggle. She fought her way out of under Mukuro's body, in an effort to escape, however with expert hands Mukuro pinned her down once again, sitting comfortably on top of her. He uncorked the vial with his mouth, as one hand held the vial and the other to hold the girl's mouth open.

"No! No! I won't do it! Mrrmmph!" And she screamed, writhing in agony and pain coursing throughout her body, in her bloodstream, all the way to the tips of her toes and the strands of her hair. Mukuro had poured the vial's whole contents into her mouth.

"Now that she's out cold (it's way too hard to knock her out, so this is how you do it), I'll be doing the real thing," smirked Mukuro, holding up an identical glass vial.

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HM... that was interesting... very very interesting... A little of a cliffie there, I know. xD

Espér: That was very interesting; I agree.

Anyways, sorry for the big wait. xP

Also - I want a vote (reviews plz) if you want me to upload rewrite chapters separately. I want opinions! Anything~!

Thanks!~


	23. Act 21: Nero Speranza

Aww, nobody reviewed…

Dx

But still, I know there's people out there who read~

And hence comes the next chapter~!

Enjoy~ [I don't own KHR.]

R&R please…

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Espérer rubbed her eyes and woke up in the midst of a forest. She blinked. She was lying on the forest floor, so she sat up, rubbing her eyes as if she had just woken up.

"W-What happened?" She looked around. And she screamed. There was a face right in front of hers.

"Good morning~!" smirked Mukuro, "It's exactly midnight right now, and I say that you should get going home." He backed off and sat down a bit farther away. Espér could see that he had started a fire.

"W-Where is this place?!"

"You'll remember after a little bit, but you're still a bit shaky from what had happened, so I'll let you rest."

"Oh, o-okay." She blinked a few times and asked, "What's your name?"

"Rokudo Mukuro."

"So, I can call you Rokudo... or Mukuro?"

"Yeah. I prefer Mukuro, though. Everyone calls me that."

"O-Okay..." Espér looked around the forest in wonder.

"Where are we, right now?" she asked.

"A forest in Europe."

"W-Well, there are lots of forests in Europe."

"A forest in Italy."

"Okay, do-don't take this the wrong way, but why are you here?"

"I'm Italian, and this is Italy. I live in Italy," shrugged Mukuro.

"What you said before... where is home?"

"Well, I don't really have a permanent home. Right now, I live in a big house with lots of other people living in it too."

"I-Is it nearby?"

"Very."

"Well then, where is my home?"

"I don't know; it's your home, not mine."

"What happened, exactly? I don't remember why I'm here or how I got here. And am I supposed to remember at least something now?" Mukuro's expression turned from calm to uneasy and nervous.

"Eh, is something wrong??" Espér raised an eyebrow.

"No, no, nothing at all," Mukuro gave a small smile.

"Oh, okay then..." Espér frowned. There was a rustling in the darkness of the forest. Espér looked to Mukuro and asked, "W-What was that?"

"Stay back." Mukuro took his trident in hand and stood in front of her protectively. A figure emerged from the darkness, his face lighting up when the firelight glimmered in his cold eyes.

"Hoi, hoi, what are you doing here late at night, Mukuro?" Hibari's voice rang with cruel hatred, "I was out for dinner." He pointed to a bear lying on the forest floor.

"Shoo, you run off like the good little boy I know you are."

"M-Mukuro, w-who i-is this?" Both Guardians whipped around to face Espér, one in anxiety and the other in curiosity that transformed to anger.

"Well, this is-" started Mukuro.

"**Mukuro, what did you do to her?! I can bite you to death right here and now if you don't tell me.**"

"Tche. As if you can beat me, scum. Kneeling down to sakura is so lame that it makes every other aspect of you even more ridiculous!"

"What...did...you...just...say...?"

"I didn't do anything to her anyways."

"She tells me otherwise, Mukuro."

"Hm, so you can read her eyes? She still has no idea who you are. Allow me to-"

"I'm sure that I can introduce myself, rotten pineapple."

"You call me that one more time-" growled Mukuro.

"Espér, I am Hibari Kyouya, your cousin and companion in our younger years," Hibari cut off Mukuro.

"So, what should I call you, er, Hibari or Kyouya? And my name is Espér?"

"What did you do, you purple pom-pom?!" Hibari growled, "She can't even remember who she is at all!"

"Me...a...pom...pom..." Mukuro twitched, "THAT IS IT! I AM NOT GOING TO TOLERATE ANY MORE NAME-CALLING!"

"Rotten pineapple."

"Skylark."

"Purple pom-pom."

"Grape-head."

"Pineapple-head."

"Candy cane wielder."

"Fork idiot."

"Eh, a-ano... guys...? Why are you guys fighting...?" Mukuro and Hibari peered at her curiously for a second, and Hibari turned on Mukuro, scoring a bloody slash on Mukuro's shoulder. Chaos ensued between the two. Espér's eyes widened at the sight of blood, and she screamed.

"Kufufu... It's like how an animal is first born – the first creature it sees it assumes to be its mother, and it attaches to that creature."

"More like a wolf thinking a rabbit to be its mother."

"If the mother is injured, the young panics, Hibari. Very...very...hard." Hibari glared hatefully at the speaker.

"Then I can rip you to shreds somewhere else." He launched another attack at Mukuro, forcing him to back off into the forest. They continued fighting, however were not in Espér's range of sight anymore. Espér looked around; looking at anything the firelight had lighted up. She saw a clear glass vial – a vial full of some clear liquid.

"What is that?" wondered Espér. She shakily tried to get up on her feet, however decided not to, as her energy had quickly been drained by that action alone. She dragged herself to the glass vial and held it up to the firelight.

"What...what is this?" Espér wondered again, "Where did this come from?"

"Well, I don't know, my dearest Tsuku-chan." Espér whipped around fearfully at the unknown voice, hiding the glass vial in her clothes, and came face to face with a man. It was Byakuran, however at the sight of him, Espér did not register him as someone she knew.

"Who-Who are you?!" Espér said, looking up at the standing figure. She looked down, and saw him dragging another person with messy brown hair.

"You don't know me, Tsuku-chan? Why, I'm your father, of course."

"F-Father?"

"Yes, my dear."

"So I call you Your or Father?"

"No, that's not my real name; it's Byakuran."

"So, I call you Byakuran...?" Byakuran frowned at Espér's words.

"You sure you don't remember me? I hope you aren't fooling around with me, Tsuku-chan..."

"But who is that behind you?"

"Behind me? Oh, that's Sawada Tsunayoshi, the ridiculous Don Vongola Decimo," Byakuran smiled poisonously.

"Ridiculous?" repeated Espér.

"Yeah," grinned Byakuran.

"Oh...okay..." she blinked once more. A pause.

"Hey, you know that-" started Byakuran.

"Juudaime! Juudaime!" Another person emerged from the darkness of the forest – a white haired teenager. He looked at Byakuran, then to Espér, then to the beat-up Tsuna. Espér blinked.

"W-Who are you?" she asked.

"Wha- I thought you know perfectly who I was!"

"Who is he?" Espér looked to Byakuran curiously and without a sign of positive or negative feelings.

"He's this idiot's right-hand man, Tsuku-chan," Byakuran answered.

"Oh, but who am I, exactly? You call me Tsuku-chan, and there was someone else called... Hibari Kyouya, I think? He calls me Espér. And who are you?" blinked Espér.

"I'm Gokudera Hayato, your neighbor!"

"My...neighbor?"

"What?! He's your neighbor?!" Byakuran raised an eyebrow.

"Anyways, what did you do to Juudaime?!" demanded Gokudera.

"Nothing much, pipsqueak."

"Grrr...call me that one more time..."

"And you'll do what? Stuff my mouth full of dynamite?" chuckled Byakuran. Gokudera glared.

"No, don't worry. I have no use fighting you anyways."

"W-What did you say??" Gokudera's eyes widened.

"There's no use fighting you. Anyways, even if I did, it would be a waste of time, and plus, your boss is already dead, idiot."

"W-What?!" Gokudera fell to his knees.

"H-He's dead?" Espér's eyes widened.

"No, Tsuku-chan. He's just in a very, very deep sleep."

"R-Really?" blinked Espér, "Then can I wake him up??"

"I don't think that's possible, Tsuku-chan..."

"No, no, Juudaime c-can't die..."

"Who is Juudaime?" asked Espérer. Gokudera glared at her in horror.

"_**How could you forget who Juudaime is?! He's-He's Juudaime! He's Sawada Tsunayoshi!**_"

"S-Sawada Tsunayoshi...?" blinked Espérer, "You mean the person over there?" Espér pointed. "You mean who he called the ridiculous Don Vongola Decimo...? He meaning him, that is." Espér looked at Byakuran, showing that Byakuran had said it.

"You-You ruin the memory of Juudaime, you...you will die," Gokudera challenged. A tonfa came flying out of the darkness and knocked Gokudera over. Blood came gushing out of his shoulder as a spike punctured his skin. Espér screamed again. Hibari and Mukuro came out of the forest, both glaring at Byakuran.

"I see that you have found a chance to trick Espér to your side again, Byakuran."

"You and I still have scores to settle, Monkey King II."

"Ow... Monkey King the Second?! And I thought-" A tonfa came hurtling to Gokudera's face. He narrowly dodged it.

"Yeah, yeah. Xanxus was the first Monkey King," finished Hibari. Espér was sitting where she was, hands covering her face, her whole body trembling with shock. She faced away from the five (if you count poor Tsuna).

"Blood...blood...blood....blood..." she mumbled as she rocked her self back and forth to maintain her self-control. She could feel something scary coming. Something very, very scary was coming. Mukuro glanced at her in surprise, then thought of Gokudera's and his shoulders. Blood. She was traumatized by blood. And then he remembered. _Oh #$% I forgot to give her the last dose... _He drifted from the strained conversation and franticly searched his pockets and jacket.

"Oh $#% oh #$% oh #$%...." he said. Every once in a while, he would glance at Espér, but would return to his search.

"Yawn~ I'm bored. I'll be leaving then~! Uni's getting bored, anyways," smiled Byakuran, and he left. Gokudera just looked at the leaving figure in shock and surprise. However, Byakuran was kind enough to leave Juudaime's body here.

"I'll be going as well. I still have dinner to finish," yawned Hibari, and he left. Gokudera came to Juudaime's body, and he looked at his boss with a face heavy with emotion.

"J-Juudaime..."

"Oh #$% oh #$% oh #$% oh #$%..." Mukuro grinded his teeth together and searched himself over again.

Espér abruptly stopped her rocking. She let one eye see past her hands fearfully, to check if there are still any people around. She saw two people. Espér whimpered.

"Oh, no, Espér, don't cry, it's okay. Uh... one second, okay?!" Mukuro said, searching more urgently than ever before.

"M-Mu-ku-ro?"

"Yes, what is it, Espér?!"

"C-Can I wake him up?"

"Who do you want to wake up, Espér?!"

"Him..."

"Okay, okay, but don't hurt yourself." Espér acknowledged Mukuro's words and dragged herself to Tsuna's body. Gokudera looked at her menacingly. She either paid no attention or had no strength to notice. Her face was obscured from view by her hair and was looking downward at Tsuna. From her clothes, she produced a clear glass vial; inside it was an amount of clear liquid. The Mist Guardian turned around. Espér uncorked the vial and tilted the glass. Mukuro had noticed the vial in her trembling hands.

"No, Espér! Don't do that! No!!" Too late. Its contents traveled into Tsuna's mouth, into his throat. Nothing happened. That is, for the first ten seconds.

Tsuna yawned and moved his hand to rub an eye. Gokudera held it back.

"Juudaime..." Gokudera hugged Tsuna in overwhelming joy.

"Wha-what's going on?!" Poor Tsuna didn't get his answer, as the four had climbed out of one hole, just to fall into another.

Espér took in a sharp inhale of breath. She dropped the glass vial, which broke into thousands of shards on the forest floor.

"No...no...no...no, please no...no... No... NO...!" she gasped. Her hands shot to her face, covering it from sight. Tsuna instinctively moved away from the girl in fear, and Gokudera followed Tsuna's actions. Mukuro sensed something horrible coming from Espér and conjured a type of cage with white lilies.

The fire went out; the area was plunged in darkness. Cold, white, glistening frost crept from the inside of the lily cage and spread to the ground; from there, it devoured grass, trees, flowers, rocks. Tsuna and Gokudera had successfully avoided it, as did Mukuro. Inside the cage, Espér was hyperventilating and gasping for air. She was wheezing. Mukuro looked on with a grim face.

"No.....!" Espér looked to the sky and slowly stood up, as if stretching. There was a hissing sound. Espér slowly turned to the three, a crimson eye glistening through her hair.

"E-Espér? Espér, are you okay?!" demanded Mukuro, panicking as if a kid thought the world had ended (not that he would care, but you get the feeling).

"Oh, no, no, no the Nero Speranza is back... Juudaime, you have to find somewhere safe to stay! Who knows what she might do to you!" said Gokudera.

"Nero Spe-"

"Black Hope! Noir Espoir! Noir Erspérer, even!" Gokudera's face paled, "S-She was born to be Black Hope!" The frosted lilies of the cage shattered into millions of shards of black ice. Espér, or who might have formerly been Espér, took a step in their direction. Then another. Mukuro realized that she must have been restraining herself. Gokudera might have realized the same thing, as the pull he had on Tsuna loosened, then slackened.

Then, she charged. For a second, she was suspended in time, falling forward. Then she disappeared from human perception. The three scattered from her line of aim, though much too narrowly. Gokudera's other arm now bled. Tsuna barely escaped with his neck intact, and Mukuro, who had used the trident to block the attack, found that his weapon had shattered into dust. Only the dagger end of the trident remained.

"Run, Juudaime! Run!" cried Gokudera. He and Tsuna headed off into the forest. Mukuro, however, stayed and wondered what she would do next. Espér turned to the Mist Guardian, crookedly smiling. Mukuro slowly backed away, attempting to put as much distance between them as possible before she would strike.

A sinful soul will be lost tonight.

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I don't remember much of how I got a little sidetracked on this one, but anyways…

I'm trying to update a little faster, but considering me, well…

Anyways, R&R! It helps with my fanfictioning. I need to know my readers out there~!

:D

THANKS to all those who are reading!!


	24. Act 22: Awaiting Hot Chocolate

(Espér speaking)

Now, this is Chapter, uh, Chapter 22.

*taps mike*

Can you guy hear- Oh, you can. Okay, okay. Now.

*ahem*

Now that the author is now very indulged with her new plaything –

*coughs*

-the Mixer Machine, aka the DJ thing that DJs use when they do those kewl remixes – updates will be slowing down. Yes, I know, it sucks, more to the author than to the audience, as she has no other life, I believe.

*laughs*

Anyways, none of us own the copyright for KHR. No, no, no, nope, not at all. I'm sure that the few lucky ones who are reading this fanfiction may review, as Koori's a little- no, scratch that, is dying to get another review. Please, please review…

Uhh… Anyways, hurry up and get going on this next chapter! Chapter 23 and on, well, Koori aims to update every Friday, and if she didn't update by that time, give her up to be dead.

Or lazy, since being dead is a little extreme (!) for a girl like her, and I wouldn't be anything anymore without her…

Okay, is it me, or am I ranting just like she does?

Now, GET GOING.

*mike clicks off*

*static*

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Noir Erspérer (also Black Hope, Noir Espoir, Nero Speranza, and Kuro Mikomi) turned to Mukuro. Her Hawk's Eye materialized in her hand, however was devoured by the frost, as it had devoured the grass, the trees, the rocks. Not an animal stirred; they were in the presence of one of the most dangerous predators ever to walk the planet. The Hawk's Eye now was like the scythe of the Grim Reaper; and Erspérer's black coat added emphasis to the likeness in the two. In truth, the two were equivalent; they reap, gather, and harvest the dead, dying, and those who have irrevocably sinned. Erspérer parted her hair; this time, under the half-moonlight, she was pale; paler than the moon's skin, as it was. A shy smirk crept up her lips. And as she did so, two telltale fangs showed themselves, even paler than her very skin. Her lips, though beautiful in its own unique way, started to lose its color. Her hair, starting from its roots and to the end of her hair, changed from raven black to creamy white. Her eyes: their beautiful crimson color faded away, leaving only a shade of pink to remember what they once were.

To make a long story short, she turned into a version of an albino female vampire Grim Reaper.

Once more, she leaned into her charge. She reappeared directly in front of Mukuro and struck him on the head with her weapon. He fell down (that was expected of everyone who was hit in the head) to the ground. With the remnant of his trident, he conjured up another cage, this time made of low level Hellfire. Erspérer made no move to escape; Mukuro was satisfied but muttered, "Kuro-sama's going to be really mad when she finds out about this..."

He shrugged and decided to fix the problem. He thought a bit, then brightened up with an "Ah!" He put the dagger end of the trident on the forest floor; he was aware of the two watching, but ignored their silent stares. Mukuro put his hands around his neck, strangled himself, and died silently as a human would die by a silencer gun.

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"Hmm..." Mukuro blinked, "So this is what express way is like, eh? Going past all the formalities again and again, so this was what Kuro-sama had been talking about..." He looked around, taking in the familiar dimly lit chambers of the Dark Arts Division of Hell, or, rather, one of its better Dimensions. He exited the bare room he was in and passed through many passageways until he met a wooden door signaling the extent of the Division. He opened the door and walked past it, reaching the aroma-scented Healing Arts Division/Dimension. Here, flowers were thriving, herbs in surplus amounts, and potions all in different stages of completion. Mukuro found his room in this Dimension, expressly reserved for the activities and experiments of Rokudo Mukuro by, of course, his Master.

He looked around and found his target: the Brucine-Fireflower Phoenix Stabilizer. In fact, he had two targets: the Brucine-Fireflower Phoenix Stabilizer and hot chocolate. Since the Brucine-Fireflower Phoenix Stabilizer was extremely hard to make, and also because Mukuro had the most trouble on it, Mukuro's Brucine-Fireflower Phoenix Stabilizer tended to be 99.9999% brewed wrong (only 0.0001% of them are safe). Actually, Mukuro had tried the same concoction two million times; only two had been safe enough to use. The one Mukuro had planned on taking with him, well let's just say that this one was the 2,000,001st try Mukuro had done on it. In case the Stabilizer didn't work at all, Mukuro knew Espér's love of chocolate and knew by experience that Erspérer's craze would be delayed for just a little bit longer. He would take that time to alert Kuro-sama and ask for assistance, though he would be embarrassed and stripped of his pride if he did so. On the other hand, if Kuro-sama found out about everything, Mukuro would certainly be sentenced to an eternity of living death.

Mukuro frowned at this thought, but busied himself on making the hot chocolate. He had found the kitchen, however deemed it harder to find the chocolate in the kitchen than to find a needle in a truckload of hay. In the end, he gave up and had it come to him. Actually, it was all over the place. He forgot to check the cupboards.

Mukuro groaned and did a facepalm. Nevertheless, he had the chocolate. Now, where is the milk...?

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Tsuna and Gokudera widened their eyes at the sight of suicide.

"No, Mukuro!" Tsuna cried, however it was too late. He was gone. Stangely, the cage of Hellfire did not disappear. Erspérer stayed inside the cage obediently and quietly. It seemed as if she was...asleep.

"Oh, why the %&$ did that %$&ing #^$%&# just kill himself, the stupid idiot?!" groaned Gokudera, quick to take Tsuna's side.

"But...is there a reason why this keeps happening? I mean, it's happened to Espérer sometimes..."

"But then again she didn't commit suicide like this stupid ^%##$#& did."

"Why were Espérer and Mukuro alone together in the woods in the first place? I mean, aside from us."

"Espérer escaped from the hospital today at sundown. Mukuro was chasing her down to catch her like livestock," Gokudera said with disgust.

"Oh, why does this happen so much?! The time when everything goes haywire nearly always is at midnight! Does Fate want to ruin the sleeping patterns of a teenager?!" yawned Tsuna. Gokudera chuckled.

"We should be heading back then. Cavallone might get worried _again_ and send _another_ helicopter."

"But...what about Mukuro and Espér?"

"Eh, the brat-girl and the pineapple guy can handle it. Come on, one of them escaped the Vendiche and the other had a bullet shoot through her body and she was perfectly fine the next day."

"But still, what if someone would come and do something while we're not here?"

"You're thinking of Byakuran, am I correct?" confirmed Gokudera. Tsuna nodded.

"Eh...come to think of it, after that little nap, I'm not really that tired; what about you, Gokudera?"

"No, I'm fine. I can't sleep in the presence of Vongola Juudaime..."

"I can leave..."

"No, no that's okay. I prefer being awake than to sleep, anyways."

"Gokudera, why does it seem that you think that he'll wake up again?" Tsuna asked innocently. Gokudera peered at Tsuna curiously and with a raised eyebrow, however said this: "The truth is that since Espér had 'died' and miraculously revived two times already, and since Espér seems to be in some way linked to Mukuro, Espér wouldn't want Mukuro dying like that. Therefore, he'll wake up sometime, I guess, like the way she woke you up."

"Eh...? I was sleeping, and nobody else could wake me up?!"

"It seems that she is attached to you in some way as well, Juudaime," smiled Gokudera. Tsuna raised an eyebrow in question.

"In reality, you were killed by Byakuran," frowned Gokudera, "However, if it weren't for Espér who gave you this weird medicine, you might have never woken up again."

"Wow..." blinked Tsuna, "Okay then, remind me to thank her...twice."

"Why?"

"Once for the medicine and the other for the clue to where our first meeting with Kuro had been. If it weren't for her who said it, I wouldn't have remembered and knew the place, and we'd all be dead right now," said Tsuna.

"Oh, that's very interesting..."

"Eh?"

"Espér seems to have links everywhere – she has connections with everyone in our little Vongola Family already – I'm her neighbor, Hibari's her cousin, Mukuro is – eh, I don't know but... I'm not so sure about Lambo. I don't remember anything regarding Espér and Turf-head, and Base-ball idiot's her friend. Chrome – of course, if it involves that purple idiot... Nothing between _that_ stupid woman and her friends..."

"Ehh, correction, Gokudera-kun..." Tsuna looked to his right-hand man as if asking if he may be able to speak. Gokudera nodded gladly with a smile.

"Well, remember the day after Espér was shot?"

"Yeah."

"Well, I saw Kyoko, Haru, and Kurokawa-san give Espér cake during lunch, and talk about how Espér had helped them so much since she had arrived in Japan."

"Hmph, okay then. They're marked off as well..."

"And with Hibari on her side, she virtually has the school under her rule."

"True. But only possibly. She doesn't have that big of an impact on Hibari anyways; they're just cousins, that's all," Gokudera shrugged.

"Why were we talking about Espér in the first place?!" Tsuna facepalmed himself, "We're the guy versions of gossiping!" He laughed. Gokudera gave a smile and a chuckle. There was silence once more.

A rustle in the bushes. Gokudera and Tsuna whipped around to see what was the cause of such a noise; there was nothing.

"Oh, jeez, Gokudera-kun, you think it's getting a little bit cold?"

"Well it should be getting warmer... And yes, it is starting to get a little cold...." remarked Gokudera. Tsuna suddenly whipped his head behind them and looked all around.

"What is it, Juudaime?"

"No, no, it's nothing, Gokudera-kun," Tsuna's head returned to where it was before, though a little nervously and a little fearfully. About half an hour was passed in complete silence. The cold was growing crueler and eviler; it started to pierce the boys' skins like a million frosted needles through a small tray of boiling water.

"How long do you think we have to wait, Gokudera-kun?" inquired Tsuna, visibly shivering.

"I'm not sure..." said Gokudera, "You cold? I can lend you my jacket."

"N-n-no, it's okay."

"No, I can't allow Juudaime to get a cold because of me; take my jacket."

"But you'll get cold."

"I can have it back when you're done using it."

"Okay then," Tsuna's voice was uncertain. A space of silent thinking, and Gokudera asked, "What do you think Mukuro's doing now?"

"Well he'll likely be in Hell, since when did he ever do something good for anyone else unselfishly?"

"He's not going to be living on Earth for quite some time, right? He's done after that life."

"I bet he's making hot chocolate right this minute," grinned Tsuna.

"I bet he's absolutely demolishing the kitchen," suggested Gokudera.

"And that could be the reason why earthquakes keep on happening." They both burst into laughter.

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Those two must be fortune tellers.

"Oh #$% oh #$% oh #$% oh #$%..." Mukuro rushed about the enormous kitchen (which had burst into flames) trying to make the hot chocolate. He had whipped cream, chocolate, and milk. He tried using the blender. Didn't work; the blender exploded. He tried using the coffee maker – it, too, failed to operate and burst into flames. He used the oven, the microwave, the grill, the barbecue, the fryer, the hand-held blender, the log-fire; simply whatever he could think of. Of course, everything he used malfunctioned and caused the kitchen to turn into a total mess.

"Oh #$%, I'm so dead, I'm _so_ dead..." mumbled Mukuro as he ran about the kitchen with his three ingredients in hand. Hey, he could cook a turkey perfectly. He could make a perfect dinner for a hundred people. He just has no clue how to make hot chocolate. Well, to put this in compare and contrast form, Mukuro's situation is like the situation of a kid who made a mistake and wanted to fix it, ending up doing something else also worth a lot of punishment by the parent.

Since Mukuro had arrived in the future, Mukuro had asked Chrome to stay back in Hell and study the endless amounts of books in the library. She was fascinated, and stayed there for quite a while – until now.

"M-Mu-ku-ro-sa-ma?" Chrome stuck her head inside the kitchen and immediately started to cough.

"Chrome, get your head out of here! There's a lot of smoke!"

"But what were you doing...?" Mukuro just dumped his three ingredients to the floor and exited the kitchen, slamming the door closed to talk decently to Chrome.

"Making hot chocolate," grumbled Mukuro. His two hands rubbed his temples in an effort to calm himself.

"Hot chocolate?!" giggled Chrome, "Why, Mukuro-sama can't do all _this_ making hot chocolate."

"Yes, yes he can."

"Who's it for?"

"Espoir. She's loose again."

"WHAT?!" Chrome's eye widened, "What did you do to her, you fiend!" She was teasing.

"Nothing."

"Oh really?" Chrome raised an eyebrow.

"Really!"

"Hmph. Oh well, I _do_ think that it's Byakuran's fault. He does a lot of vulgar things."

"Like me?" Mukuro's face brightened up as he said this, looking expectedly at Chrome. She sighed and said:

"Yeah, just like you."

"So can you help me make the hot chocolate and fix this place? I'm going to get into a lot of trouble when Kuro-sama comes home..."

"...fine." Chrome went straight to the gas tank and shut it down, then fetched a fire extinguisher to smother the flames. Mukuro covered the kitchen with an illusion, so that it would seem as if nothing had ever happened here. Chrome proceeded to work on the hot chocolate.

"You know, that Espér is quite a handful."

"She's not that bad, I tell you."

"Yeah, aside from the fact that she's impossibly unpredictable."

"I tell you, she's not that bad, Mukuro-sama," chuckled Chrome.

"Well, when it comes to these things, like when she snaps, its really difficult to secure. It's like taming a wild, poisonous snake."

"Snakes aren't that bad either."

"Worms then."

"Tch. You are laughable, Mukuro-sama," laughed Chrome. Mukuro cracked a tiny smile, knowing everything was in good humor and was to be kept in good humor.

"Hm. Well, here's your hot chocolate. And your special little vial of Brucine-Fireflower Phoenix Stabilizer. Now, don't loose that ever again. We all know how horrible you are at making those," chuckled Chrome.

"Tche." And Mukuro disappeared into thin air.

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I don't know why I made such a light deal of the death of Mukuro with Tsuna and Gokudera, but I'm too lazy to fix that. I'll do it in the rewrite. Later.

:D

Yes, I'm back from my temporary addiction of the DJ Machine.

C:D

(Elvis Smiley)

R&R plz! I really need it…


	25. Act 23: Consequences of Stupidity

OMG OMG I'm so sorry, everyone…

I forgot to update yesterday…!

So, um, I update today, ASAP.

I'M SO SORRY, SORRY SO SORRY… D:

I don't own KHR.

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It was three in the morning; the sun had not risen, and Tsuna was fast asleep in the frosty grass. Gokudera, as ever, kept his vigil.

_Why are we still here? I mean, we could have reached the mansion already if we started walking back about an hour and a half ago. And what are we waiting for? For the bodies to rot? Yeah, fat chance I'm ever going to try that. _Gokudera looked around the same scenery he had seen about five seconds before. But then, his eyes landed on the Hellfire box again.

Espoir had turned her head and spent her time staring at Gokudera. Gokudera peered back. Espoir looked away, though Gokudera still looked at her.

_And to think that I'm that close to such a monster... _Speak. of. the. Devil. Espoir's Hellfire Box shattered, and Espoir landed softly on the frosty grass, her Scythe held in her hand. Her icy glare penetrated the depths of Gokudera's conscience. Step by step, she closed in. The Storm Guardian, panicking, shook Tsuna awake and dragged him farther into the forest. Espoir gave chase.

"W-What's happening, Gokudera-kun?!"

"Nero Speranza is chasing us again, Juudaime. We have to run." And the two sped through the forest, in the half-moonlight. Espoir was in hot pursuit.

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Mukuro's body stirred. He groaned and got up. The hot chocolate was packed in a metal thermos, and he had put the glass vial in his pocket. With one hand holding his stub of a trident and the other holding the hot chocolate, he ran into the forest, following the signs of frost. After a while, he gave up running and placed his trident parallel to the ground, leaped on, and sped off.

After about ten minutes, he had caught up with the three. Only Espoir acknowledged his presence by swinging her Scythe at him, resulting in a ripped sleeve. Mukuro held up the thermos to his chest and put his hand on its lid. He turned the cap, opened it, and held it out to Espoir with an evident grin. The empty glass vial he threw at Espoir to gain her absolute attention. As he expected, Espoir slid to a stop and glared at Mukuro.

"An offering, Espoir, if you may." Espoir glanced at Mukuro, then at the hot chocolate. She narrowed her eyes at Mukuro. She took the thermos and raised it to her lips. She licked it.

Then, she dumped its whole contents on Mukuro and continued on her chase.

"Oh, #$%!" Mukuro cursed to himself. Another dose of Brucine-Fireflower Phoenix Stabilizer, wasted. And Mukuro was covered in hot chocolate. With his hair dripping in the beverage, he returned miserably to Hell to attempt making another dose of Brucine-Fireflower Phoenix Stablizer.

However, he had not noticed. Espoir was slowly reverting to her own self once again. However, is it her own self at all? Espoir blinked a few times. _Why, why am I chasing them again? I mean really, Onii-san and Gokudera-dono can't be __**that**__ scared_, thought Corteinne. Nevertheless, she continued running.

Color returned to her body; her skin was no longer pale, her fangs retreated, and her eyes returned to their crimson-scarlet color. Her hair darkened a shade into creamy-blonde; her vitality and her energy made a small comeback; her Hawk's Eye gleamed with gold as the frost she had been leaving behind melted into dew. Her voice came back, however Cortienne chose to stay silent and think everything out instead.

_What happened?! One second I was pinned down by that idiot Mukuro, and now I'm chasing down Onii-san and his best friend! Really, that Mukuro has a few things to explain! What in the universe happened?! _Cortienne turned her head right and left; no Mukuro. At those high speeds, and without paying attention to the obstacles in front of her, her left foot hooked onto a rather large tree root, and Cortienne came crashing down to the hard, earthen ground.

Gokudera and Tsuna slowed their pace; the looked back and found nobody chasing them. However, they did see a person lying on the forest floor. They stopped and retraced their steps.

"Hey, it's Nero Speranza! And she tripped!" laughed Gokudera. Tsuna silenced him. The person was waking up.

"Espér-san?!" cried Tsuna in surprise when the face was exposed.

"What?! Then what happened to-"

"W-Where am I?" blinked the sleepy Espér.

"Eh, in Italy," said Gokudera.

"Who are you...?" Espér rubbed her eye, blinked a few more times, and looked straight forward, which was towards Tsuna and Gokudera.

"Sawada Tsunayoshi."

"Gokudera Hayato."

"And so what should I call you guys?"

"Tsuna's fine."

"I don't care."

"O-Okay then, er, Tsuna, Gokudera." Tsuna and Gokudera looked at each other in confusion.

"Eh, Espér-san?"

"Who's that?" blinked Espér, completely clueless.

"E-Espér is your name..."

"Really?" she raised an eyebrow. She sat up and looked around.

"Where did you say I was again?"

"I-Italy."

"Where in this 'Italy'?"

"Sicily."

"Hmm..." she frowned, "Are there forests in Sicily?"

"Of course, since this is a forest and we're in Sicily." Tsuna was answering all her questions, as Gokudera was too shocked to say anything as of present.

"Then, why am I here?"

"Eh, um, eh, ah... Gokudera, do you know?"

"N-N-No... I don't..."

"Hm, well, we're not sure."

"Why are you guys in this forest then?" asked Espér.

"Eh, uhm, we were being chased by someone..." answered Tsuna.

"Oh. Who?" she blinked.

"...we don't know..."

"Oh..." she frowned, "What do we do now?" Tsuna and Gokudera looked towards each other again.

"Er, Espér-san, can Gokudera-kun and I talk by ourselves?" To Tsuna's delight, she nodded. The two walked about ten or fifteen meters away and turned to each other.

"What happened to her?! She was Nera Espoir, and now she's Espérer?!"

"I don't know..."

"But still, we have to deal with her."

"Where is that #$%#&$ Mukuro?! And to think that he _had_ to kill himself. Wasn't he supposed to live and get beaten by Byakuran?!"

"I don't know, but how do we handle her? She has no idea who we are!"

"I bet that pineapple-head knows; I bet he knows everything. And I'm gonna beat him to pulp to get that information," Gokudera growled.

"Eh... Gokudera-kun..." Tsuna sweatdropped. _Wasn't that exactly what Reborn said a few days before?!_

"Should we take her to the mansion? We have to go back as well, Juudaime."

"Y-Yeah, sure..." The two returned to Espér, just to find her missing. Gokudera cursed.

"Oh, why must our luck run our so quickly?!" frowned Tsuna.

"No, no, no Juudaime, don't lose hope! Uhh, she might be somewhere close by...." The Storm scanned the area briskly, however saw no Espér.

"How would she disappear so quickly, though? It was like, what? A minute?!" Tsuna whipped around frantically, and Gokudera rescanned the area. Tsuna walked a bit from his original place with Gokudera, and found Espér behind the trunk of a rather tall and large tree.

"Who a- Oh, Tsuna. Sorry." Espér's feeble attempt to be defiant shook at its foundations. She was leaning against the trunk of the moss-covered tree, staring straight out. Her eyes were wide and blank. There was no familiar shine coming out of her eyes.

"Espér-san, a-are you okay?!"

"No, I'm fine. It's okay." Her voice trembled.

"Espér-san! Are you okay?!"

"Answer Juudaime, brat!" Gokudera peered into Espér's eyes. His nose neared; his hot breath licked her nose. Her head moved back the half-inch it could, meeting the tree's rough bark and the soft moss.

"Back. Off," she growled, "Gokudera." He did so, with a distasteful snarl. He stepped aside. Espér's head did not move, and stayed in its position staring forward.

"Eh, Espér-san, please, tell us what's wrong."

"I would."

"Tell Juudaime to truth!"

"I am," she said, her voice cruel and hating.

"Okay, um... what time of day is it?"

"Night."

"And the moon?"

"Overhead."

"Um, do you know who Reborn is?"

"No."

"Do you know what...what a peach is?"

"Yes."

"Are you hurt anywhere?"

"I'm not sure."

"Um, can your arms and legs move?"

"Yes."

"Nothing bothering you?"

"In my arms and legs, no."

"Do you have anything bothering you at all?"

"Yes."

"What is it?"

"Gokudera." The Storm Guardian scowled at this.

"How many numbers am I holding up?" Tsuna held up two. There was hesitation.

"I-I don't know," Espér choked back a sob. She slid to a squat at the roots of the tree.

"I-I can't even see my hands in front of my face. What is wrong with my eyes?! I have done nothing that might have damaged my eyes. And yet they cannot see, even if I stretch my eyelids as wide as they can go. I don't want to be blind, I can't be blind, how could I deserve to be blind?!" Her unseeing eyes were wide and fearful.

"But-But how do you know the moon is overhead?"

"Before you guys left to talk on your own, I looked up at the beautiful, pale, white and shining half-moon. It was above my head."

"And that it's nighttime?"

"It is always nighttime to my eyes." Even Gokudera was appalled. He was silent, as he is always when something tragic happens, which is becoming surprisingly common these days.

"C-Come on, we have to get Espér-san back to the mansion," said Tsuna.

"No use staying out here, isn't there?" agreed Gokudera. And they set off, each of the boys supporting one of Espér's shoulders.

"How did you know it was me who found you, Espér-san?" inquired Tsuna, trying to be optimistic and cheery in the bleak situation.

"The air that moved because of your movements have drawn me your messy hair, facial features, and clothes, as well as your posture, your expression, and your body language. The leaves on the ground crinkled and cracked under your weight, which could only be yours, and it had notified me of the size of your foot and your shoe, which, of course, had been yours. And your scent. Each person's scent is unique, and I have familiarized myself to your's and your friend's, as well as the smell of this calm, unmoving forest of Sicily, Italy.

"And plus, who else would approach me in such a fashion?"

"Wow, amazing."

"No, it's nothing," she smiled, "But thanks, Tsuna." But then she frowned.

"Gokudera, why are you still silent? Are you mad? I'm sure you're frowning again."

"Shut up."

"It was just for how rudely you treated me. Aside from that, I have nothing against you."

"...why?"

"I've only been in your presence for a little while, Gokudera. It's not like something like 'born to be enemies'?"

"It's not that at all."

"Then what?"

"You, Espér, are a very irritating, troublesome little girl. You're either too good at one thing, and you're horrible the next."

"Really?"

"Yeah. For example: your eyesight is useless, however your other senses are supernatural. A- oh, #$%."

"What is it, Gokudera-kun?" asked Tsuna.

"I just realized that I got tricked by an irksome little girl." Tsuna chuckled at Gokudera's words.

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A bluebird peeked after the walking threesome. It chirped silently and flew off after them. A shadow followed it; not the shadow in the form of a bird, but instead the shadow of a man. A few seconds passed.

"Yo."

"AHH! YAMAMOTO?!" Tsuna was evidently surprised.

"Baseball-idiot," mumbled Gokudera.

"W-Who are you?!" Espér faced the katana-wielding swordman. She blinked in curiosity.

"Why-" Yamamoto stopped and recognized the girl, "Espér! What happened to you?!"

"I said, _who are you_?!" Though her small voice trembled and shook, there was an evident tone of defiance in it.

"Yamamoto Takeshi..." He raised an eyebrow, then turned to Tsuna and Gokudera.

"What exactly happened...?"

"Well, it appears that Espér-san lost her memory as well as her ability to see," Tsuna said pitifully. Yamamoto was shocked.

"No, Tsuna, it's fine. I-I just have to learn to deal with it, that's all."

"We should get you to a doctor immediately," Yamamoto urgently said.

"We _were_ on our way to the mansion already, baseball-idiot."

"Then we should hurry," the Rain Guardian grinned.

"Whatever," Gokudera grumbled and rolled his eyes.

"Come on, we should get going already. We predicted that we would arrive at the mansion at around six with just the two of us. The more, the better. Let's get going."

"I know the way back," said Yamamoto. "I'll guide."

"Okay then, Yamamoto," Tsuna nodded gratefully. "Oh, Gokudera, here's your jacket. I don't think it's necessary anymore now that we're up and around."

"Thanks..." Gokudera took back his jacket.

"Oh, and I think that you guys have been walking for quite a while already with Espér. It's four already, you know? I'll take her."

"Oh, sure, Yamamoto, if you're not tired..."

"No prob!" he said with a smile. Gokudera frowned disapprovingly.

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Espér was asleep on Yamamoto's back again.

"Why is that idiotic little brat so hard to take care of?! Hell, we take our eyes off for a minute and she #&%ing goes blind!" Gokudera grumbled.

"Weren't you two friends when you guys were little?" Yamamoto raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah. So?"

"Shouldn't you two be a little nicer to each other?"

"Yeah, but she never learns. She never changes; she never grows up. And I'm too old to play around with little kids like her," he shrugged. Yamamoto frowned and focused on his path.

It wasn't long before they saw the mansion. It was around 5:00 in the morning, as Yamamoto had guessed. They rushed past the gates and alarmed the mansion of their return.

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That was an okay chapter…

Espér: Oh, that… Mukuro was such an idiot that time, right, Koori?

Of course. I mean, to risk poisoning you at all…? That's not right. And plus – I think, was it? Yeah, it was-

Espér: I had a sip of that stupid hot chocolate in Brucine-Fireflower Stabilizer. What kind of an idiot doesn't know that hot chocolate reverses the effects of the Stabilizer?!

Apparently nappo-head, of course. He was the one who mixed the two, which in turn took your eyesight and memory.

Espér: At least I'm happy I got him back…heheheheheheh…

Well, at least you only took one sip. Any more, the consequences would be disastrous, and plus, (laughs) Kuro-sama would be very unhappy.

Espér: Of course she was, Koori! But, that story isn't to be told right now…

Until next week~!

Espér: Remember to R&R plz!


	26. Act 24: Protagonists of Antagonists

I've just remembered to update, so therefore sorry for the late update…

o.o`

SORRY…

I don't own KHR.

I am at a disastrous depletion of inspiration; anyone who has any amount at all, please PM/review me or my works about it.

THANKS~

:D

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Dino looked up from his paperwork and sighed. _Byakuran's doing, again. This is going to get very bothersome..._

Then Tsuna burst in through his temporary office, eyes wide and panicking. The door broke. Dino groaned inwardly however focused on the events at hand.

"Dino-san!"

"Yes...?"

"It's Espér-san again!"

"What about her?!"

"S-She's back! But she's... eh she's forgotten everything, and she's gone blind!"

"What?!"

"Yes!" Dino sighed at Tsuna's answer.

"It must be that Byakuran has a switch on the poor girl... Completely useless the minute she's out of his hands... What in the world happened to her?"

"Well, um, it's rather unusual... I should tell you after you see Espér-san."

"I like the way you think, my boy." Tsuna scratched the back of his head uncomfortably with a sheepish grin, however led Dino out of his temporary office and they went to the hospital to see her. They met up with Reborn.

"Reborn! A-"

"Yeah, yeah I know. But she's been turned out of the hospital, since she's been advised to stay at a familiar place and attempt to recover her better memories. She's been placed in a guest room close to the Guardians' area, so that therapy might be applied. I've asked Fez to monitor her, so at least she'll be under the watchful eye of someone experienced."

"Really, Reborn? Where?"

"I'll lead." And Reborn walked off, with Tsuna and Dino anxious to confirm her welfare. They entered a room of the color, shades, tints, and variations of red; the red-violet velvet, the crimson paint, the gold-embroidered lavender bedposts, and the redwood-dark mahogany wood in the closets and furniture. There was a four-poster bed, lamps, a chandelier, a closet with sliding doors, a desk with a rather large mirror, a large window, and a wooden chest, metal bindings, lock and all. Espérer was laid spread-eagled on the bedcovers. Her eyes stared straight up, wide as if she were trying to discern something past the pitch black she saw. That alone was discernable about her eyes through the blindfold protecting it from the ultraviolet radiation. She was ranting to herself, and the three couldn't help but listen.

"...and this-this room – it smells familiar... the velvet, the-the wood, the open window and the flowers out there, the paint...this texture... these bed covers...could they be the very ones...? No, I cannot recall enough... however I do remember this from someplace I have been before... I have a feeling of nostalgia here...there once had been horrible things happening in here, I know it..." Her throat had run dry once more. Reborn, Tsuna and Dino crept out of the room.

"Had she been here before, Dino?" asked Tsuna.

"Yeah, she has. I'm sure that it's a good sign that she's regaining memory. But I'm not sure about the part about horrible things. Reborn, you know anything?" The Arcobaleno shook his head.

"Eh? Signor Vongola, Signor Cavallone, Signor Reborn!" huffed Fez as he slowed down to a walk. "What are you guys doing here?"

"We wanted to see Espér, Danté."

"Oh... Then you may," he shrugged, "Having company is a good thing; she might remember a thing or two talking."

"Eh, about that, Fez, Espér seems to have regained some memory, or at least a sense of de-ja vu."

"Is that so, Signor Cavallone?! This is good news; very, very good news!" smiled Fez. He entered the room rather showily, noisily, and opened the door swiftly. Espér jolted and sat up, her hand reaching under the pillow.

"Who is it?!" she demanded.

"It's just me, Espér."

"Oh, okay then Danté. However, who are t- OH, Tsuna! But where's Gokudera and Yamamoto? And who are these other two people?!"

"Eh... Espér, this is Signor Reborn and this is Signor Cavallone," said Fez, however immediately lowered his voice and told the two, "Walk up to her and shake her hand. Speak your greeting. She will ask questions, and answer them as best as you can, and as truthfully as you can. Then walk back when she is finished." The two nodded.

Reborn went up first. He jumped into her lap and took her hand, shaking it. The other people exited the room to allow some privacy, as Espér was very touchy on this subject, and wanted complete honesty in the room.

"I'm Reborn. Nice to meet you, Espér."

"Ohh, so this is Reborn..."

"Yes, this is Reborn."

"You are really small for a person, Reborn."

"I'm an infant."

"Really? And how do you talk?"

"I move my mouth. And to add to what I said before, I'm more like a midget or something. I'm just short."

"Oh... that's cool," she smiled, "That's a nice hat you have there. And what's that on your hat?"

"Well, I call it a fedora, first off. And the thing on my hat is Leon, my pet."

"May I touch Leon?"

"Leon's very shy most of the time."

"Then when is Leon not shy?"

"When he's sleeping."

"Oh... can I feel around, so I know what you look like?"

"You may..." he frowned uncertainly. She felt around his face, and noted the form of his hat.

"Okay then. That's a pretty face, er, Reborn. Aren't you a baby though?"

"I'm a very smart baby."

"Oh..." She was silent. Reborn stepped off her lap and walked back, signifying Dino to present himself with a smirk. Dino walked up to her awkwardly and said, "Er, well I'm Dino."

"So your name is Dino," agreed Espér. They shook hands.

"Eh, nice to meet you, Espérer." Dino scratched his head.

"Hm, you too. You look a bit like Tsuna, don't you? You have the same blood in you."

"How did you know?"

"Your smells are nearly impossible to separate."

"Oh..."

"Are you two cousins or something?"

"Somewhat, yeah."

"Oh... how so related?"

"My great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather was his great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather's cousin. And my great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather's father was his great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather's father's brother."

"Oh... Interesting family, I must say. What do you do? I mean as a living."

"Eh, um, I-I'm rich, and I basically live off the money that my father left..."

"Oh," frowned Espér, "That's it? Don't you have some type of hobby or something?"

"Well, I do a lot of random fun things..." Dino shrugged.

"Oh, cool." Once more she was silent. Dino stepped out of the room rather awkwardly and uncertainly. He was at least happy he didn't trip or something. However, he was concerned about how Espér would find her memories once more. He felt like calling someone that can look into her mind, however shook that from his head. He somehow thought it a bad idea, and thought it no more. He left to attend to his business, as he had much to do. He had to ask Tsuna how everything happened later on.

Reborn left as well.

Only Fez and Tsuna were left, and they both entered the room.

"Oh, Dino and Reborn left?"

"Yeah, they did," answered Tsuna.

"Why, though?" Espér looked curious. Fez slipped away, out another door.

"I don't know, probably something personal?"

"Oh, okay... I'm sorta tired... What exactly happened? I mean, what happened before I was taken here."

"Eh, well first of all, I was out in the forest doing stuff-"

"What stuff?"

"Venturing. Anyways, some person attacked me and I was knocked unconscious. And then you woke me up, then something happened to you..."

"What happened to me?"

"It was like you were taken over, or something. Anyways, you chased us for a bit, then you fell down. That's when you woke up, and you were you as you are right now."

"Wow, that's a mess."

"I know."

"Can you, eh, add in more detail, since-"

"Ah," Fez entered the room through the way he had left the room, "I think that a little tea will soothe you a little more. I know the shock's been dwindling, and everything's a little overwhelming. Here, don't spill it." He placed a small porcelain cup in her hands.

"W-What is this, Fedele?" Espér's tone was defiant once more, revealing some paranoia. Fez blinked a few times and shook his head, however replied.

"It's tea. It's just warm water with some stuff in it to make it have a little flavor. It also has herbs that are good for you. Please, drink up."

"Oh... okay then, Fez, I trust you." And she drank, slowly. Once she finished, Fez took away the cup and placed it beside the bed, on a stand.

"How're you feeling, Espér?" he asked.

"Fine..." Her head turned to Fez's direction, slightly tilted to the side. "A little bit better, I suppose..."

"Good then, Espér. Your head will be cleared and focused in about half an hour; it's a special zen tea that I created. Rest up; we all want your memory returned as soon as possible."

"I used to have memories...? Of what?"

"What you've done up until this point, I guess." Espér instinctively stiffened up.

"W-What?"

"Is that bad?" Tsuna raised an eyebrow.

"N-No, nothing. It's nothing," Espér hastily said. She turned her head away.

"Eh... Espér-san...?"

"I said it's nothing!"

"Uhm, well okay... okay then..."

"It's okay, Signor Vongola. The tea is working already. We should leave to let her rest; she is fatigued by the eventful night. And Signor Vongola, I also advise some rest for you; you've been up all night as well." They shut the door behind them and stood in the hallway.

"Ah, well, it's okay; I can sleep later..."

"But it's bad for Signor Vongola's health, and your internal body clock would be thrown off, not to mention your training with Signor Reborn..."

"AH! Oh, no, I forgot everything about it! What time is it?!"

"It's... it's 6:30 in the morning, Signor Vongola. I believe that Signor Reborn's training with you begins at 7:45. You should hurry to your room and catch some sleep..."

'"No, it's much too little for me to sleep at a time; I won't be able to sleep a wink at all anyways; I'll go ask Reborn if I may start training early, so it'll end sooner and I can sleep."

"Okay..." Fez was uncertain, however let Tsuna go. Tsuna turned back and said:

"Oh, Fez...?"

"Yes, Signor Vongola?"

"Eh... M-Mukuro, eh, he strangled himself to death..."

"Oh, don't worry. He'll be back in no time, that was what I remember the rumor coming around. It's impossible to slay Signor Mukuro."

"Oh..." Tsuna was quite uncertain about Mukuro coming back, however they both went their separate ways.

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The Day After...

Gokudera growled. To him, it absolutely _sucks_ being able to play the piano. He stared and stared at the music he had written on that sheet of paper the very day Uri had messed around in the attic.

Fez had told everyone available to do nearly everything that might restore Espér's memory; even if it means doing things that they don't remember Espér witnessing or having anything related or involved with that specific action.

Gokudera preferred to knock Espér around a good few hours with his Sistema C.A.I. for a bit to clear up her memories, rather than playing music, letting Espér play with Uri, and just _talk._ Gokudera absolutely _hated_ the talking. He simply had nothing to say.

Espér would talk a little, however had nothing much to say either, as her short memories regarding him were not very good impressions at all.

Heck, Gokudera had no idea how Espér would be able to hear a piano two stories above her.

Nevertheless, there he sat on the piano stool, waiting for the feeling of irritation to wash away; even if he had no wish to play, he wanted to play it right and the way he wanted it to be. Irritation never fails to ruin rhythm and feel.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

And Gokudera placed his hands on the key board and played.

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Meanwhile, In Hell....

"Ah! I found it!! Haha! I can't believe it, but _**I found it!!**_" whooped Mukuro. He blew the layer of dust away from the glass encasement and opened the fragile clear door. He gasped in amazement, eyes shining in discovery.

"What is it, Mukuro-sama...?" Chrome peeked at what he saw from behind him. She neared the glass encasement and peered inside.

"What is that...?"

"It's-It's Cortienne's store of her very best potions, concoctions, recipes, herbs, wine-" laughed Mukuro "-cookies, sweets, and other delights and curiosities!"

"Is it th-"

"Yes, yes, the very same!" Mukuro grinned as he saw Chrome's expression.

"Are you allowed to even do anything to it?"

"I'm not sure, but I need something in here."

"No, you are not going to touch that Brucine-Fireflower Stablizer. You are not going to touch that Stablizer, Mukuro-sama!" enforced Chrome. Mukuro backed up a little, however with a grin, extended his hand back into the glass box.

"Mukuro-sama, don't break anything!"

"Don't worry, I won't..." _Crash._

"...Mukuro-sama...?"

"Yeah...?"

"I believe you broke something..."

"Oh #$%. Can you cover me, Chrome?"

"I'm afraid not, Mukuro-sama..." she frowned.

"Oh #$% I'm screwed," repeated Mukuro. His hand still reached for his target. At least he didn't touch anything else on his way in. His fingers slid around the vial's neck, and he grabbed hold of it.

"Hey, you know, I'm not even sure why the box isn't tall or wide, but long. Weird, don't you think, Chrome?"

"I'm not sure, Mukuro-sama..." Mukuro gingerly lifted the bottle from its place and started to retract his arm.

_Crash. Crash. Crash..._

"How much stuff is in here?! Four of them already broke!" complained Mukuro.

"Oh well, I'll be going now. I have to catch up in studying. I'm sure that when Kuro-sama's back she'll be giving a pop quiz..."

"WHAT?! YEAH, THIS IS JUST GREAT."

"Yeah, well you already learned about a thousand year's worth of stuff more than I did. And the quiz is bound to be much easier for me than for you."

_Crash. Crash._

"And two more?! This is just awesome, Chrome," growled Mukuro, "But I'm not sure that I'm the only one having no fun at all..." He grinned at the thought.

At least he now had the centuries-old fragile glass vial in his hands. Through the amazingly well-preserved clear glass vial, Mukuro could see a color-less liquid. The label read:

_Cortienne's Brucine-Fireflower Stablizer. Handle with extreme care._

"_It's a potion that can fix almost anything in the world, Onii-san!"_

_Here is the proof, Vongola Giotto._

- Coi de Cortienne

Mukuro therefore had the correct potion. He smiled, before everything faded into black.

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Espér laid in bed, unable to sleep. Though the sunlight shone brightly through the window, she could not see its warm light. She could hear the birds sing, the mansion's people move about, the forest coming alive and going about its business.

_What other memories? I feel as if I shouldn't remember... as if something bad might happen if I do... _And then she saw something. Something like a fragment of sight and voices.

She could see a shadow against a wall of brick; the street lights illuminating the mother's face. She sat at the wall's side, clutching her child close to herself; she had creamy brown hair and the most beautiful brown eyes. Her eyes were pleading to be let go, or to at least allow the child to escape alive.

The vision was not steady; sometimes she saw whole scenes, other times she saw black, and the rest of the time she saw half-scenes.

"No, don't take my baby! Don't take her! Please!" she sobbed. A mass of men closed in.

"No, No, No! Please, no!" she screamed. Gunshot. And then there was a flurry of red and orange. A man, no, he's too young. A boy around the age of fifteen ran off, the child in his hands. The ring of men had fallen; they had burn marks and now laid unmoving on the ground. The mother wasn't stirring either; her blood had poured out of her wound and onto the dirt. The poor child looked over her savior's shoulder in shock, and asked, "Onii-san, why is Okaa-san laying on the ground, pouring tomato juice on the ground?"

"I'm not sure, but we should go somewhere far, far away, okay?"

"O-Okay..."

_Wh-What was that? _However, the visions felt that that was not enough. Espér's eyes saw no more, however her ears heard.

**Kukukuku... Nera-Noir Espérer... What an interesting name... **Espér's skin suddenly felt the air freeze up. She sat up and scanned the area. Nothing.

**I'm sure that our contract won't be that troublesome, eh?**

"W-Who are you?!" Her voice trembled.

**Why, I'm Kuro.**

"K-Kuro?"

**Yeah, without the stutter.**

"Where are you?!"

**Right here.**

"Don't joke around! Come out from wherever you are; I know you're there!"

**Kukuku... the voice seems to have come from your very own mouth, doesn't it?**

"Wh-Wha- Who are you?!" Espér demanded.

**I'm Kuro.**

"Not your name, I meant what exactly are you?!"

**I'm Kuro. Just Kuro.**

"I mean it, whatever you are!"

**I'm your consciousness and your conscience, my dear.**

"What?"

**Without me, you cannot exist.**

"What...?" Espér's voice decreased in amplitude to properly digest this information.

_**Huu. You should know that it sounds weird to Fez for you to talk to yourself. Stop replying...**_

"I won't!" growled Espér.

**Then I shall make you. **Espér's throat immediately tightened. Her hands jumped to her neck. The air was escaping; she had no air to breathe. She coughed and choked.

"No... no... no, please, don't! Help...help... Fez...anyone...help..." she wheezed. She faintly heard the alarming cry of a bird – a bird on a branch right outside her window. A yellow bird on a branch right outside her window. A yellow chick on an old, thriving, ageless branch right outside her window.

A yellow chick on an old, thriving, ageless branch that had been outside her window for the last four hundred years.

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I still didn't get any reviews…

xP

PLZ PLZ R&R!! I need it…

:D

Criticism is accepted with open hands, and praise accepted with gratefulness; both include the other, so idk, just REVIEW.

:D

Happy Friday~


	27. Act 25: Two Parts of One

I'm so sad…

THERE WERE NO REVIEWS WHATSOEVER!!

o.o

I remind all of you readers – please, please, please review… Or at least tell me what needs fixing (which I assume is nearly everything) and what doesn't…

Thanks to all those who are reading, though~!

:D

I love you all!!

But, I don't own KHR.

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Hibari woke up from his nap and yawned. The sunlight filtered through the curtains, and Hibari got out of bed to change clothes. After last night's meal, his clothes had been ruined. Once he finished changing, he walked up to the curtains, drew them apart, and threw open the window. He peered out.

Hibird blew into his face with a loud _smack_. Hibari coolly peeled the poor bird off his face and looked at it. The bird looked at its owner and tilted its head. Out came a loud, shrill, and urgency-inducing cry. Then Hibari flew to the window and thoroughly inspected the scenery. And then he felt it.

_That force... it's always been around Kuro and Cortienne. This time, it's in Espér's room. _Hibari frowned and burst through his door, out into the hallway, and proceeded to break down Espér's. Hibird flew out the window.

Hibari stood in front of the door and listened.

"Huu. You should know that it sounds weird to Fez for you to talk to yourself. Stop replying... I won't! Then I shall make you."

_Crack._

The door swung open. Hibari stepped in the room, and saw Hibird at the window with its cry of alarm. He looked back at Espér. The door swung shut.

_I'm sure that this isn't the future Espér. _Was the first thought that had gone through his mind, however he shook himself from dawdling. He looked around for Kuro, however found nothing in relation to Kuro. After reaching the conclusion that Kuro had left somehow, he turned back to Espér. He had no idea how to deal with this type of situation.

_Was it some poison? Was it a bruise? Some sort of weird thing or device or mechanism that makes her choke? What is it? How do I fix whatever's happening to her?_

He blinked and looked at the poor figure calmly. _She's choking, just do something!_

He still did not do anything, as he didn't like doing something that will worsen the situation. So he just stood there.

Espér gasped then took in a deep breath. She took a few more greedily and hungrily, and her hands left her neck. Once her breathing evened out, she spoke.

"Who are you?" Hibari was at first surprised, then somber, heavy with sad and silent realization.

"I'm Hibari Kyouya."

"How did you banish that Kuro choking my neck? You must have some hidden talent or-or skill that I cannot find at a glance..."

"I just stood here."

"You sure? Anyways, thanks for saving me..."

"Do you know what Kuro looks like?" Hibari narrowed his eyes.

"No."

"What did you see then?"

"Of Kuro?"

"Yeah."

"Nothing."

"Did she say anything?"

"Yes."

"Ah- Signor Hibari! Please, can you leave for the present? She is resting, and you must not disrupt her sleep."

"Fez?" Espér turned her head to the source of the voice.

"So you are the doctor I hear that is taking care of her...?"

"Yes, yes, it's me. Now, please leave. Espér looks like she had gone through something horrible."

"I choose to stay when I choose to. You have no right to order me about."

"This is for Espér, Signor Hibari. Please leave." Hibari replied by holding up a tonfa and shooting him a warning glare.

"Signor Hibari, please. It's for the best for Espér. You may come later, when she is rested."

"Kuro's just attacked her, she cannot be isolated," ordered Hibari, narrowing his eyes viciously. He grabbed a chair and sat down, still glaring at Fez. To him so far, he was just an idiot doctor that would always get in the way, just like the utterly useless Doctor Shamal.

"Eh... I'm implying that Signor Hibari instead wants...me to leave...?"

"Yes. She will wake up sooner or later. You are not going to eavesdrop on our conversation of her possible expulsion from the school."

"Eh... very well...." Fez hurried out the door and shut it very hastily, though quietly.

"Hmmph."

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_**Drive him away, Espér. He's interfering.**_

_No. He stopped you from hurting me. I'm going to keep him here._

_**Then I can make you hurt again.**_

_You say that as if you can do it as easily as one can breathe, Kuro._

_**I'm doing this for your own good, idiot.**_

_How is this good for me?_

_**If you keep asking me, you'll be doing something you didn't even want to do in the first place – learn your past.**_

_But still, I deserve to know. It's about me, anyways._

_**You sure?**_

_...no, not really._

_**See? Told you. Well, fine. I can tell you half of it. You want that?**_

_No._

_**Heh. Weird how a girl's thoughts can change her mind in an instant...**_

_When can you ever shut up? And don't I ever get some privacy?_

_**I'm your conscience. I know everything you do, and everything you used to know.**_

_Can't you learn to shut up? I mean, suddenly you just started to talk and you won't stop..._

_**You're really annoyed, aren't you?**_

_What do you think?!_

_**Hmm... you seem to be taking this a lot better than the average person would.**_

_No I'm not!_

_**Hey, how many people trip over a tree root and loose their memory along with their sight? How many people get a talking conscience that both helps and haunts you? Really, what are the chances of that?!**_

_... you really should learn to stop that noise. And it sounds horridly like my voice..._

_**Well, it is. Live with it.**_

_And she even has the same personality... scary..._

_**Well, people with same personalities usually become friends. You want to be friends, as separate people? Just for fun, you know.**_

_...okay. Fine. We're...friends..._

_**Hmm. And I'm sure you want to know what the deal was about in the conversation between that Hibari Kyouya and that Fez, don't you?**_

_Obviously. Well, first off, he looks like a nerd._

_**He is somewhat a nerd. A nerd in way too many subjects, I must say.**_

_Heh._

_**It's good of him to come in before you'd blabber something. You could get into some deep trouble for doing something like that...**_

_Really?_

_**Yeah.**_

_Eh, is that Hibari Kyouya over there good at, eh, fighting...? He has those two metal bars over there that look rather menacing..._

_**They're called tonfas, if you must know. And he is way too good at it. He enforces law. Physically.**_

_Ooh... harsh... And what did he say about that...eh... expulsion from school? I'm going to be...expelled?!_

_**He's probably just bluffing. Oh, and if you don't mind knowing, I'll have to tell you parts of your life that you don't remember to explain...**_

_I'd rather not know, at least not now._

_**Oh, so you *want* to know?**_

_Not necessarily, no, not yet._

_**Entertaining, that's what you are.**_

_Entertaining is you as well, Kuro._

_**Kukuku... as I said, entertaining~**_

"Espér. I know you're awake, so answer my question: what exactly did Kuro say?"

_**Heh, so he really wants to know... Don't tell him too much. I know you're a truthful girl, who never wants to disobey anyone. So I'm going to be nice this time and let you talk. But don't say too much.**_

_Okay..._

"Eh... you are Hibari Kyouya, am I correct?"

"Yes. Answer my question."

_**Remember: he enforces law by force. He can use those tonfas against you.**_

"Eh-eh, well Kuro didn't say much... she told me to shut up once..." Espér smiled a little at this, "And she mentioned something about a contract..."

"A contract, you say?"

_**Aww, great. You reminded him of *that* contract...**_

_Shut your mouth, please._

_**Aww, little Espér's irritated...**_

_Shut up._

"Yeah...a contract."

"What exactly did she say about that contract... Espér?"

"She said 'our contract.' Do you know what that means, Hibari Kyouya?" Silence.

_**Heh, good. He doesn't know.**_

_I said shut it!_

"I don't know either..." admitted Espér. Her inner and outer feelings were like black and white; exactly the other's opposite. She sat up.

"Who exactly are you?"

"Your cousin."

"My...cousin?" Her head tilted to the side trying to process this knowledge.

"Okay...so I'm Hibari Kyouya's cousin...?"

_Why didn't you tell me?!_

_**Hey, you didn't want to know~**_

_Shut up._

"Yeah. And please don't call me Hibari Kyouya. It's tiring to say the whole name every time you're referencing to me. Just say something else aside from my full name."

"Eh... okay... what about Hibari?" The Cloud Guardian looked unhappy, however settled with the rather formal name.

_Isn't Hibari his first name? Or does being called Hibari insult him?_

_**For the Japanese, their family name goes first; their own names, or first names in the Western way of saying it, go second. Therefore in the order of European names, Hibari Kyouya is actually Kyouya Hibari.**_

_Oohh... oops._

_**Fix it...now.**_

_No need to tell me twice._

_**Fix it.**_

_I told you there was no need!_

_**Fine~**_

_Shut your trap!_

"Oh, sorry. I forgot that the Japanese typically say their family names first; I should call you Kyouya." Hibari's eyebrow raised. He half-opened his mouth as if to say something, however shut it immediately and looked away, to the window.

"What did that Kuro do to you, Espér?" he calmly and softly asked. Espér hesitated to answer.

_**Hey, what kind of a question was that?! Even if he is your cousin, what kind of a question is that?!**_

_I'm not sure. A...Uh-uh, Kuro. You are not going to answer for me._

_**Aww... I really wanted to though...**_

_No._

_**Fine.**_

_Now, what do you think I should say?_

_**Eh... the choking thing is good; he saw it anyways. No use denying it. Oh yeah, and that vision you saw before I started talking-**_

_Don't tell me: that was you, wasn't it?_

_**Hey, that was so that I can get your attention.**_

_You nearly scared me out of my skin, Kuro!_

_**Yeah, well sorry. Geez.**_

_So should I tell him that?_

_**I don't think so. Your cousin over there absolutely hates Tsuna, and when you describe that vision, he'll immediately think of him. I mean – who else could look that much like Tsuna aside from himself and-**_

_Yeah, yeah, I get it. So no vision. There was no vision that happened to me in Kyouya's eyes. Okay?_

_**Mhmm.**_

"Kuro...Kuro was talking about that contract, and Kuro demanded something, and I had no such thing. She choked me and threatened me with living hell..."

"How so?"

"Torcher."

"What was the demand?"

"I don't remember..."

_Oh, and one more thing._

_**What?**_

_Can you read my thoughts? I mean, I can't read yours._

_**Yup, I can.**_

_This isn't very fair._

_**Well, you're already reading my thoughts.**_

_Oh, really. You're just talking in my head._

_**You're talking in your head as well. Thoughts are basically just ideas and stuff expressed in the mind, and not expressed outside the brain. Talking and communicating is expressing things outside the brain.**_

_You know a lot of stuff, Kuro._

_**Yeah...**_

_And full of yourself._

_**You say what?!**_

_Yeah, you heard me._

_**Yeah right.**_

_Uh-huh you are._

_**Whatever. Anyways... this conversation hasn't finished yet.**_

_As much as I hate to do this, I'm going to drive him out as fast as possible._

_**Why?**_

_He's just sitting there, like just sitting there to blend in and it'll be just like as if he weren't there, and I would start acting like my weird self, and he'll get suspicious._

_**Hey, turns out I wasn't the only one that was smart.**_

_Thanks, Kuro._

_**Hmm. It's weird... The victim and the attacker became casual friends so quickly...**_

_I agree._

_**So, it's your idea, so how do you think you should get him out?**_

_I don't know, really..._

_**I've not a single idea either...**_

_Oh, I've got it!_

_**What?**_

_Is there any way of making some type of demolition by "accident" outside?_

_**I don't know – maybe by provoking Gokudera...**_

_Ooh... that's a good idea... Anyways, you have a way of getting to wherever he is?_

_**Yeah.**_

_How?? I absolutely want to know. Especially how you'll get him._

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Gokudera was once again sitting at the piano bench, bored and frowning. He didn't want to play anymore, however he had no wish to look like a jerk in front of Juudaime. So he was trying to decide what to play next. He placed his hands on the keyboard. He was about to play when....

_Ssshhh..... *crackle *crackle_

"What the- OH #$%." Gokudera looked towards the source, only to find a lit dynamite stick. He tried smothering it with two fingers. The result was two burned fingers. He stood up abruptly; knocking the piano bench down, he hurried to the window, then threw the explosive out the window, just in time for it to explode outside.

_BOOM._

Gokudera breathed a few sighs of relief until he saw a very angry carnivore indeed...

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_BOOM. _[that was the dynamite, not Espér or Kuro, in case there are confused readers out there...]

"Whoa, what was that?" Espér suddenly turned her head towards the window.

_Ooohh, that was awesome._

_**I told you. Gokudera uses dynamite and other explosives, so once I light it, boom!**_

_But did he get hurt?_

_**No, he's too good for that, I'm afraid. He's got decent reflexes, that Gokudera.**_

_Interesting... so he fights too?_

_**Yeah, I'm afraid so.**_

_Weird..._

"That disrespectful herbivore, throwing bombs indoors," Hibari growled, "I'll come back soon then, Espér."

"Ehh, yeah... sure," she answered, head turning every which way.

**Okay, now he's gone.**

"Yeah. I know."

**Mhmm.**

"Don't talk so loudly, Kuro! Someone might overhear us..." Espér fiercely whispered.

**Okay okay, Espér.**

_Oh, why can't we talk in my head?_

_**Oh yeah, true, true.**_

_Now, tell me everything I knew, Kuro._

_**You sure?**_

_I am now._

_**Okay. So, first off...**_

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Well, that was an okay chapter… Pretty good for all the old stuff…

Soon, I'll be moving in to the things I've written once I got my computer fixed… And that was, like, what, Feburary?

I'm behind because I'm stuck in writer's block…

Also, I need you guys voting, please? Or at least suggesting ideas…

One friend suggested cake, so I give credit to her.

Any other ideas, please tell me…

I haven't even gotten ONE review since November…

So… REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!!

:D

Thanks to all who read, I repeat, a mighty THANK YOU to all you readers~

Love you all~~


	28. Act 26: Credibility

Uuuuuuu……

TT_TT

I'm sick today…

SO I GOT TIME TO FANFICTION! :D

Actually, I slept until about midday, so, there wasn't much time, considering school is let out not very long after that…

Well, I still need inspiration to continue writing, and reviews too…

REVIEW, please! For the sake of your poor writer who needs it to make you readers happeh!

:D

I don't own KHR.

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Mukuro found himself in the forest again. It was around 10:30 in the morning already. He yawned, then remembered his task. With the potion safe in his pocket, he sped off on his trident to the mansion, where Espér was right now.

He burst through the gates and into the courtyard, and thundered across the lawn, into the building. He climbed a few floors, then turned in to the Guardians' guest rooms. He entered the first room he saw.

The door opened, and Mukuro stepped through to see Espér sitting on the bed.

_**Okay. So, first off-**_

"Who are you?!" demanded Espér, "I know you're there." Mukuro said nothing, however came closer and closer.

"Who are you?! Answer me!" As Mukuro neared the edge of the bed, Espér scooted to the other side, her movements betraying her universal emotion: fear.

"I've come for your recovery, Espér," said the long, smooth, drawling voice. Espér instinctively became even more wary of that voice.

"Stay back! Stay back or-or I'll jump!" Espér threatened. She felt the window ledge, with her back to it, and whipped around, ready to jump. She felt a sudden grasp on her arm. She gasped. A hand whammed into her face, covering her mouth. The hand on her arm left its place and wrapped itself around her waist.

Her mouth was muffled, though her voice could still be heard.

"Mmmhh, mrrhh! Mmmhhhhmmmmrrrhhh!"

"Shh... be a good little girl and please be quiet... There's no use shouting, you know, Espér?"

"Mmmrrhhhhhh!"

"Shh... now don't struggle and be a good girl, okay? Shh.... No, please don't give me trouble..." He thrust Espér on the bed face-down and took out his potion. Espér picked up its scent and immediately stopped her shouting.

"Now, if you don't cooperate, Espér, I'm afraid I'll have to use this on you~" Espér was silent.

"Good girl," Mukuro smiled. However, once he looked away, Espér reached into her mound of pillows and drew a dagger. She flipped over and stood up, knocking Mukuro, who was sitting on her, to the ground. The glass vial was knocked out of Mukuro's hand and landed on the bed. She pointed her weapon to Mukuro.

"Who...are...you?!" she growled.

"Huu, so Espér knows a few things about weapons?"

"I said, who are you?!"

"You aren't the only one with a weapon," said Mukuro. He held up his trident.

Metal clashed with metal.

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"It doesn't have to be this way, Espér."

"I don't even know you, yet you talk to me as if you know me!" _Tching. Tching._

"I do." _Tching._

"Talk to the dagger, fool." _Tching. Tching._

"Who's calling _me_ a fool?" Mukuro chuckled darkly, trident's blade pressed tightly against Espér's neck. She was sprawled on the floor, face-up. Her limbs were tied useless by Mukuro's best illusions.

"Hey, well it's pretty good already to fight a man so well, even with your impaired eyesight."

"You insult me one more time I'll-"

"You're in no position to order me about, Espér.," frowned Mukuro. He thought, _She's much too similar to the other; this is not good. I'll have to use it a lot sooner then; pretty soon it'll be something only Kuro-sama can handle..._

"Now, open wide..."

"I'd sooner live in Hell than do that," scowled Espér.

"Uh-uh, Espér. Don't you say things like that."

"I can say whatever I wish to say."

"You'll regret it."

"I don't care."

"Now, open wide." Mukuro's hand took hold of her jaw and pulled it open with surprising force and energy. Espér cried out in pain. Mukuro summoned the potion to his hand and uncorked it. He poured half of its contents into her struggling mouth. Mukuro released his hold, and the jaw immediately returned to its original position.

Espér swallowed.

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Espér inhaled and wheezed. Her chest heaved with effort. The poison was taking effect now. Then, she moved no longer. Mukuro pulled her up into sitting position, then carried her to the bed.

He waited.

For a very, very long time.

A very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, long time. [A grand total of 666 very's! xD] He shook her shoulder gently.

"Espér...Espér...? You awake? Hello~?" Espér awoke. She blinked, rubbed one of her eyes, and said:

"Ano... please stop that. That was not nice... I was having a really awesome dream~" Mukuro breathed a sigh of relief.

"What?" Espér tilted her head to the side and looked at Mukuro. Then she noticed the silken sash tied around her eyes.

"Ahh, do you know what this is for? Are we playing hide-and-seek or something?" She frowned but removed them, revealing mahogany eyes behind the unveiled veils. What had been left of Mukuro's relief had been swept away when he saw this. He frowned.

"No, we're not." Then, both of their eyes were turned to the door. With a crash, it landed on the creamy carpet in splinters.

"I'm assuming that you did all this for the brain-washing of Espér?" growled a very, very carnivorous and familiar voice.

"Ah, Kyou-nii-san!" Espér cried in delight. She smiled, eyes shining. Hibari peered at her curiously, then at Mukuro. The Mist Guardian replied that look with a smile; Hibari frowned. Poor Espérer was in between that battle of stares; soon enough she became fidgety. The tension grew. The room's air became stuffy, humid, and hot, however the cold, silent stares of Hibari and Mukuro forced poor Espér to cool down significantly in cold sweat. She glanced to Hibari, then to Mukuro, then to Hibari, then to Mukuro once more. She simply prayed for someone to enter the room. She prayed and prayed and prayed...

"Ciaosuu." The three all looked towards the doorway. A baby in a suit stood on the ruins that once were the door.

"Ah! So you're that Reborn that Takeshi-san talked about?"

"Yeah..." He walked up to Espér, then looked at Mukuro and Hibari.

"Infant...?"

"Arcobaleno..."

"I knew it," smirked Reborn, "Now, if you both wouldn't mind, I need you two to step outside for a second. She needs to know what happened so far. It's not advised to leave her in the complete unknown forever."

Hibari and Mukuro knew what Reborn exactly meant behind those words and obliged. Like Kyoko, Haru, and the children, they knew obscure parts of what was happening. However, they knew not the entire picture. This was what Reborn planned to do with Espér. Neither Guardian wanted Espér exposed and dragged into such a scheme with the mafia.

Reborn made sure that Hibari and Mukuro have gone a good distance and that it is not possible for them to hear. Espér's arms were angled, both palms rested on the bed's sheets, and she crossed her legs. Her head tilted to the side lazily, and she smiled and asked, "So, what's up?"

The Arcobaleno frowned, however started to explain. She was interested. Of course, as she already accepted everything that Yamamoto had told her. When he finished, Espér's expression neither lost interest or gained any.

"We have to find a way to get back."

"Really?"

"Yeah. And do you always say really?"

"Not really."

"...okay."

"But, I do believe that I know a way to get back."

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Reborn called a meeting. A meeting directly after his conversation with Espér.

Tsuna, Gokudera, Yamamoto, Ryohei, Lal, and Dino were there. Reborn started the meeting.

"Espér claims to know a way to get back into our time," Reborn began.

"Whaat?! Espér-san's alright now?!" asked Tsuna.

"Yeah, sort of. But wait until I'm finished." Silence.

"She says that she knows how to get back into the past. Are there a sufficient number of reasons to believe her?"

"I don't know..." answered Tsuna.

"That brat's probably crazy. She'll be talking, not doing," growled Gokudera.

"I'm not really sure..." admitted Yamamoto.

"I don't know what she's like in the past; I wouldn't know," said Lal.

"She once was given to my family to care for a little while, long, long ago, when she was young. In my eyes, Espér of the past is just a regular little girl," said Dino.

"Though she is useful, skillful, and worthy for a large number of other adjectives, I don't believe that she can bend time without the aid of a time-traveling mechanism," Ryohei remarked.

"Even if my answer is no," started Reborn, "She had displayed quite a show of dexterity, strength, and speed before we came into the future. I'm not surprised she had been used for the advantage of the mafia world since."

"Well she's saved all of our lives a few times already. Like the time she subtly kept us from dying, the night we first see Kuro. And like the time she brought me back to life with that potion-" said Tsuna, before he was interrupted by Ryohei.

"Wait, what potion?"

"I don't know – I didn't see it," said Tsuna.

"It was a clear liquid, with the consistency of syrup," said Gokudera.

"I have never known any type of potion like that; I'm sure of it, aside from..." Ryohei trailed off.

"Aside from?" prompted Reborn.

"That Mukuro... whenever he's in his room, sometimes I could hear things about a potion he says could treat anything. Cancer, bronchitis, amnesia, broken bones, heart attacks, anything."

"Has he ever named that potion?"

"In my knowledge, no, never." [LOVE FOR RYOHEI TO THE EXTREME~! xD]

"Anyways, who has the spirit to believe in Espér, her mental state, and her method to return us back to our own time?"

"Me," called Tsuna.

"Me too," Gokudera joined in not a second too late.

"I'm in," smiled Yamamoto.

"I believe," decided Lal.

"Not me," Dino regretfully said.

"Me neither; no is my answer," answered Ryohei.

"I vote no as well," said Reborn, "Well, it's a vote four to three; it's much too close of a tie, so I'll be asking everyone else. Meeting dismissed."

"Come on, Gokudera, Yamamoto. I'm going to see Espér," Tsuna stood up and left, with the two of them behind him. Reborn left right after.

"Espér's really interesting, you know? She's one and then another," recalled Dino, "When she was younger, she would accept anything an adult says; from Santa Claus and the reindeers to the equality of ketchup and catsup." Dino purposely left out the blood and ketchup bit, as that was the only part he knew Espér would know that he was uncomfortable with.

"Really?" Ryohei raised an eyebrow, a smile forming on his lips. Lal just smiled right out.

"The first time I've met her was when we bumped into each other in Venice. Back then, I had been assigned to look for any signs of the Estreano branch there. Espér and I saw each other at a delicatessen specializing in dessert and sweets near the area. She told me she was back where lots of memories from her childhood had been." Dino's smiled faded away.

"The memories she was referring to at Venice – the ones you were talking about – are connected with the Estreano," said Dino.

"The Estreano? Oh, I remember; she was Hibari's cousin, and both had parents from the Estreano," added Ryohei.

"The Venice branch of the Estreano had been wiped out twelve years ago, Dino. A child of her age would have remembered nothing of the incident," argued Lal.

"Her appearance had scarcely changed in the last ten years, Lal. Ten years ago, she was ten and she looked ten. She should be twenty right now. She _looks_ thirteen in our present time. Mind you, it's not polite to ask women and girls what their ages are," countered Dino.

"That can't be possible," said Ryohei.

"Well, it is," finished Dino, "Anyways, she had been abused at the very same site that Kuro had attacked twelve years ago. Rumor says that someone had saved Espér – it could even be Kuro – still, she was saved and hidden for about a month or two. And then Espér landed in Basil's hands," recalled Dino.

"_Basil?!_" Ryohei hadn't expected this.

"You mean the kid who used to learn from that Imetsu?" suggested Lal.

"The very same. Under Basil and Imetsu, Espér learned much faster than a normal person would. In four months' time, she had finished elementary school. And around two weeks later, Espér had caught up with Basil's lessons."

"Four months in elementary school?!" burst Lal.

"That's too fast for her, Dino."

"That was exactly what I thought. But when she was nearly ten she disappeared. Basil and Imetsu had no time to take care of it since the Ring battles were taking place at the same time. Right after Tsuna won the Ring Battles, right the next day Kuro's attacks had raised to critical condition. The two assumed that Espér had been killed off by Kuro, however right after the Vongola headquarters fell, I had discovered that Espér was over at Tsuna's."

"Oh, yeah, now I know how everything ended up in my present time..." said Ryohei.

"Along with that, I found out that Kuro had found her way to Japan as well, and I panicked. By the time I had reached Japan, they were gone..."

"And they came here," finished Lal.

"Yeah, and this is the weird thing: how did Espér come into the future?! She looks ten, and she is ten. And now she thinks she has a way to get us back into the future! You think that's suspicious?" questioned Dino.

"I don't know, but whatever she can do, there's no possible way of her being able to transport us from the future to the present. Period, to the Extreme!"

"I agree," agreed Dino.

"Well, I see no harm in humoring a young child's beliefs, the same way you entertained ideas of Santa Claus with our little runaway kid Espér."

"So you don't really think that she can do it?" Dino raised an eyebrow. Lal shook her head.

"Well, I'm EXTREMELY hungry and I'm going to grab a snack; who's with me?" Ryohei grinned.

"Hey, Ryohei, you're suddenly not a kid anymore," Dino stood up to join him.

"Aww, great... Being a kid is a lot of fun, believe me."

"I already do." Both guys laughed and exited the room.

"Hmmph. Guys are always the ditchers," Lal Mirch mumbled with a sly smile as she got up and left the room.

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Well, that was a nice segment. Espér's finally better. :D

Readers, please review!!

THANKS FOR READING~~!


	29. Act 27: Preparation

HEYY. :D

For anyone who was sad that I was sick, then TADAHH!

I'M NOT SICK ANYMORE~~ :D

And for those who didn't care, OH WELL.

I finally updated~!

Sorry, I just remembered to update, and it's already Saturday night…

I'm so forgetful… O.o

Anyways, I don't own KHR.

Have fun reading~!

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"Hibari." The Cloud Guardian looked at the Arcobaleno.

"What do you want, akanbo?"

"Espér said that she has a way to get us back into the past; do you want to go through with her plan or not?"

"Of course."

"Okay then Hibari."

5-3

.room change.

"Rokudo Mukuro, what do you think?"

"What do I think? About what, Arcobaleno?"

"Espér has proposed that she has a method of getting back into our own time."

"Whatever, I'll take a guess. Yeah."

6-3

..room change..

"Bianchi...?"

"Yes, my dear Reborn?"

"Espér says she has a way to get back to the past. You want to go with it?"

"Probably not..."

6-4

...room change...

"Haru, Kyoko, I-Pin. Do you-"

"WAAAAAHHH Reborn forgot about me!"

"Shut up. Anyways, Espér has-"

"Ehh..? Espér-san is okay now?! I thought-"

"She says she has a way to get us back in the past. Do you want to follow her plan?"

"What is it, though, Reborn-kun?"

"None of us know yet."

"Oh..."

"But do you still want to follow her plan?"

"Yeah."

"Mhmm."

"Hai!"

"LAMBO SAYS YES!!"

10-4

....room change....

"Romario-"

"I go with whatever Boss says."

10-5

.....room change.....

"Gianinni."

"Ah, Reborn-san!"

"Well, I'm sure you know Espérer?"

"Yeah."

"Well she's got a plan to return us to the past; do you think it'll go through?"

"I don't know..."

"Well, do you want to go with it?"

"Eh... I'd rather no, in case of hazards and injuries. Nope. I say no."

10-6

......room change......

"Fuuta..."

"Yes, Reborn?"

"Espér has a method of getting us back to the past; do you want to go with it?"

"As in try it out? Yeah, sure."

11-6 Final.

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"Well Espér, since we have voted to go with your plan, you should at least tell us what the plan is."

"Okay then, Reborn. How many people are willing to help?" Espér sat up on her bed.

"Depends on how many are asked."

"Okay. First off, get Mukuro's trident."

"Wha-"

"Just do it, or have somebody get it for me! Mukuro, even!"

"Are you-"

"Just go, please. And hurry. Meanwhile, get me someone else to carry out my next step here. Meet me in the briefing room when you've got it."

"Fine." Reborn left. Espér waited silently for a while, and Tsuna walked nervously up to her.

"Ah, Tsuna... So Reborn called you?" chuckled she.

"Yeah."

"Okay, first off, do you know the current status of the Estreano Headquarters in Venice?"

"No."

"Hurry then, get somebody that knows!" Tsuna, upon hearing those words, dashed out of the room to get Gokudera. He soon returned, dragging Gokudera by the arm.

"Gokudera...? Are you sure?" questioned Espér.

"Yeah," panted Vongola the Tenth.

"The Estreano Headquarters of Venice is currently obliterated," Gokudera frowned at the awkward phrasing, however went with it as Espér showed no signs of uneasiness.

"Good. I'll need to go there."

"Wha-"

"Wha-"

"Just get me a boat on the double, you two!" She stood up from her seat on the bed and walked out of the room, both Tsuna and Gokudera at her tail. Espér had found the briefing room and sat down, with Mukuro's calm gaze directed at her.

"Espér, the trident you had asked for," grinned Mukuro.

"Have you done anything whatsoever to it, Mukuro?"

"No."

"Okay then..." She grabbed it. And then, she gasped.

"What is this?!" A clear, sticky substance was on her hands; she dropped the weapon on the ground.

"Brucine-Fireflower Stabilizer, my dear."

After what had happened, Espér exited the room very timidly, compared to the manner she had entered the room not so long ago with authority and with an air of great importance. With the trident in hand, she left for Dino's office.

"I-Is the boat ready?" she poked her head in.

"Yes, it is, Espér."

"Thank you, Dino-dono..." she smiled. Dino smiled, too. The door shut.

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By the time Espér had arrived at Venice, it was late in the night.

"Well, brat, you've got what you wanted. Hurry up and do whatever you need to do!" growled Gokudera.

"You didn't have to go in the first place, Gokudera Hayato," said Espér, and she left.

Once she was out of sight, she dashed past the houses and buildings, looking for the exact position. Past the dark houses of the Venicians she dashed, searching, combing the area for the place.

Upon finding the correct water canal, she dived into the water and swam into a cave. The cave was somewhat like the burrow of a beaver – to enter the cave, one must first go underwater through the entrance to be able to reach the warm and dry main room of the burrow. The cave an assortment of items – all antiques. Espér gazed at the hand-cranked merry-go-round. It brought back a number of fond memories; however she remembered her initial mission. She rummaged around, until she found a small, round sea stone, bound tightly with web.

Slipping the article into her pocket, she took one last look at the great many and beautiful things that called back so many memories of Espér's childhood; some others which haven't been very familiar. She leaped into the water.

The water was cold and dark; one can fancy that this cold, penetrating water were the brother of Death itself. With her limited air left in her lungs, Espér hurried to the cave's entrance. She surfaced. Espér hauled herself out of the water, shivering from the cold. She checked that the sea stone was still in her pocket and rubbed herself all around to get a little warmer. After a few minutes, she reluctantly got up and ran the way back to the dock where Dino's boat had been tied. She stepped on, gratefully taking a towel from Romario.

"What was that all about?!" growled Gokudera, "You went, and you came back in, what? Twenty minutes?"

"I had to get this," Espér drew out the sea stone. Gokudera took one look at it, and his nose wrinkled with disgust.

"Ehh, what is that?! It's like the nest of a spider or something."

"You were close~" Espér put the stone back in its place.

_Like what I said before – being tied down, especially by a little irksome fly like that always comes with the whole bundle of negative emotions. And plus, WHY IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD DID HE HAVE TO COME IN THE FIRST PLACE?! LIKE ONLY GOKUDERA AND ROMARIO CAME!! I WOULD HAVE FARED MUCH BETTER WITHOUT GOKUDERA! THIS...SUCKS._

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Espér returned to the mansion with Gokudera and Romario safely, to the relief of everyone awaiting their return; with Byakuran still out there ruling the Mafia world, it's likely he has eyes and ears everywhere. They entered the briefing room again.

"Okay, um, I don't think I have to do any more preparations, guys..." Espérer told Reborn.

"Yosh. Then how do you do the actual thing then?"

"It's a secret. Leave me alone in my room for a bit once I've started. Wait outside until I've called you. Everyone who is going back ten years in the past, pack up everything you're going to bring back with you right now. But only pack the stuff you've brought into the future. I'll start when you're done. However, the sooner, the better," instructed Espér, speaking into the speakerphone, her voice echoing throughout the mansion. She lifted her head, "Oh, and Mukuro – I'll be holding on to your trident for now."

"But...what about Chrome?"

"...Chrome? Well, anyways, I think Chrome's fine." Espér was uncertain for some reason. She grinned, and Mukuro got the message.

"Okay." Mukuro frowned, however held his peace. The few people filed out of the briefing room, and Tsuna, Gokudera, Yamamoto, Ryohei, Hibari, Mukuro, Kyoko, Haru, I-Pin, and Lambo dissipated to their respective rooms to pack.

Well, it was more like this:

Tsuna was in his mess of a room, already set on taking his gloves, pillbox, yeah the usual. He just didn't remember what he wore the day he came to the future. Gokudera was in his room saying good-bye to Uri and detaching himself from his Sistema C.A.I. Of course, it was much too advanced a technology to be of much use, ten years in the past. Gokudera at least had no problem remembering what he wore; the dirtiest clothes he had in his closet, of course. Yamamoto chose to take the baseball bat he had, along with what he believed to be what he wore when he first came. Ryohei came the latest; he had no problem remembering what he brought. Hibari also had no problem at all. No use describing more, as he had barred the door, signifying that he was up to something... Mukuro didn't care in the least; he likes his clothes broken in. Therefore, it was relatively simple to choose out what to bring back to his time. Kyoko and Haru had a little trouble remembering, however remembered in the end. I-Pin and Lambo danced around the two girls, already dressed in the clothes they had come with.

Reborn had changed as well, and met up with Tsuna, his Guardians, Kyoko, Haru, and I-Pin. They all had already said their good-byes and were ready to go. Standing before the door of Espér's room [newly built, since, as you might not remember, since I don't, that Hibari had broke the door down...??], the eleven people saw Espér come strolling coolly down the hall.

"Ah, Espér-san! You're alright!" smiled Kyoko.

"Mhmm," nodded Espér.

"I was really worried that you might not be okay, Espér-san..."

"Thank you for caring about me, Kyoko, Haru. Thanks," Espér smiled warmly again, "But if you please, allow me through. I have to begin the procedure. Sorry~..."

"Eh, wh-" The door slammed closed in front of the eleven people, with a hint of rudeness. Now the eleven have to wait. Just wait and wait and wait...

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I loved this chapter, especially the last bit… xD

Espér: I liked not telling them – it gave me a little of a feeling of…um…superiority. Yeah, that felt so good…

Well, everyone, review please~!

THANKS to all who do!!


	30. Act 28: Return to Normality

Well, this is going to be the ending of this arc. :D

I won't be updating as much though… .

I started another story named Wasted Life, and I need to focus on that, too. :D

Tune in, sometime later…?

Espér: I'll be seeing you later, then~

I don't own KHR… .__.

READ AND REVIEW!!

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Finally, with a flourish, Espér opened the door. The eleven entered the room, seeing no apparent change at all.

"How are you going to transport us back...?" questioned Reborn.

"You'll see," smiled Espér. She walked to her closet door and flung it open. Beyond it, was black.

Gokudera frowned.

"Yeah, it's just dark inside..." He stuck his arm through, and to his surprise, his arm disappeared into the void!

"What the- WHAT?! Where's my arm!?" Gokudera angrily sputtered. He pulled his arm straight back out.

"Ten years in the past, idiot," grinned Espér, "Oh, and Mukuro-sama, here you go." She handed the trident to the Mist Guardian.

"Thanks," nodded the illusionist.

"The gateway won't last very long; I advise you guys to hurry." A few scattered nods from the eleven people, most of which were extremely(!) nervous.

"Oh – and here are your rings..." Espér set the bag on the floor in front of the gateway, so that nobody would forget to take theirs.

"Tsuna, you go first." Reborn kicked Tsuna on the back of his head.

"Eh, wha- WHAAT?!" His voice faded as the distance between himself and the remaining ten people and Espér.

"Don't worry, Juudaime! I'm coming!" And Gokudera leaped in, right after Tsuna.

"EXTREMEEE...!!" Ryohei boomed after the two. He was gone as well.

Yamamoto shrugged, and stepped through the gateway. He was gone as well.

Kyoko, Haru, I-Pin, and Lambo all went in together, nervously at first but held their heads confidently as they strolled through into the dark, black void.

Mukuro went through next, silently and obediently, with the soul of Chrome beside him within the trident.

Hibari followed, though slightly grudgingly and with disgust.

Reborn looked at Espér. It was just the two of them left now.

"I'll go last. I have to clean up the thing, anyways. You can tell that black stains paint easily," grinned Espér, "Don't worry, I won't be long."

Reborn nodded in understanding and stepped into the black void that took him back home.

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An irregular eruption of pink smoke appeared in the back alley of present-time Namimori. First came Tsuna, then came Gokudera. For some reason, Tsuna had been sitting right in front of Gokudera's feet. Of course, this was puzzling enough; however they had no time to think before Ryohei and Yamamoto erupted in pink smoke as well. Lambo, Haru, I-Pin, and Kyoko, along with Yamamoto and Ryohei, emerged from the pink smoke.

"EH?! Why are we all here in a back alley?!" Tsuna frantically scrambled onto his feet and dusted himself off.

Then Reborn appeared, apparently lying facedown in the middle of the ring of Vongola people.

"EH?! Reborn?! I didn't-"

"We need to get home," said Reborn, "Maman and everyone else must have worried about us."

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Espér screamed with surprise. She threw herself out of bed, yanking the attachments from the machine off of her. She was still in the clothes she had worn when she arrived in the future, however everything else didn't match. She could tell that the first lights of day are only just visible past the mountains at least, however she was in a hospital room.

Again.

Anyways, Dino stuck his head in the room. Espér looked at him.

"Hey, Espér, where'd you get those clothes?! And you're awake and up and about already...!" This Dino was the younger one.

"Eh...? What do you mean...?" Espér was confused, "At first I was in another room that Tsuna called the future and then there was a bunch of pink stuff, and then I'm here."

"Oh...so-" nodded Dino, a smile evidently appearing on his face.

"What?" frowned Espér. She wasn't really getting this at all.

"Never mind." Dino's head disappeared behind the door. Espér could hear his excited feet guide himself out the door, out in the young sunshine, and off to see that Tsuna and his Guardians have really indeed have been found.

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In the joyful days that followed, life basically returned to normal, that is, aside from Reborn's crazy training. It became much more challenging, both academically and physically, as the improvement of Tsuna and his Guardians was so significant, that Reborn started to churn out his best into his tutoring...

And indeed it was a bittersweet period of two weeks.

However, Tsuna couldn't help but notice a few things with his new and improved, heightened and alert senses.

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_Ah, Espér's gone again... _It was lunchtime, and it was the usual time for Tsuna and his friends to gather together to eat. However, Espér's been disappearing a lot these past couple of days, ever since they had arrived home in their present time.

"Grr... that brat... running off again..." frowned Gokudera. He shrugged.

"Reborn, you know what she's doing?" Tsuna asked his tutor.

"None of your business, Dame-Tsuna," he grinned maliciously.

"Hii!" Tsuna naturally ran for it. The Guardians dashed after him, hoping to catch him before he runs into the Head of the Disciplinary Committee. Again.

However, in the high school branch...

"Hello~" rang a higher, sing-song voice.

"Hey, again," said a bored, dead voice.

"Aww... Irie, you're no fun..." pouted Espér.

"That's 'cause I'm eating."

"Then when you're done, are you fun?"

"I don't know – you tell me."

"Ooohhh," Espér eyeballed the ring he hung from a chain around his neck, "What's that?!"

"It's nothing," Irie hid the ring.

"It was so pretty... Can I see?!" she grinned.

"No."

"It had wings, and it was so yellowy~" she beamed. Irie looked up at her, with a bored expression on his face.

"Okay, here's the thing. If you really are going to do what you told me that you'd do, then you better hurry up, or else I'm not taking the deal."

"Oh, so we're talking about deals now, are we?" Espér raised an eyebrow, and smirked. "No deals. The Devil gets whatever she wants, mortal."

"Whatever," shrugged Irie. _Whoever she is, she's mad. Believing she's the Devil, or the Angel, or whatever she is. I might as well humor her, since there's nothing else for me to do during lunch... _Irie grimaced.

"Aww... you really aren't any fun at all, Irie..."

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"I'll be leaving for my home country today," frowned Espér on her way to school. Tsuna looked at her in curiosity.

"But you've never told us what it is, Espér-san..."

"Oh, sorry. It's somewhere in Europe. It's a small country, and you probably won't know it."

"Ohh... okay."

"Well, at least the brat's not going to worry Juudaime anymore," grinned Gokudera. Espér glanced at the Storm Guardian.

"How come that every time I see you guys, you all have rings...? I mean, Tsuna, you have a ring on a chain around your neck. Gokudera always has rings, obviously. And Yamamoto, there's always something in your pocket that's made of metal and it's as if you keep a ring in there. I mean, what are they for?" she frowned. Before Tsuna could open his mouth in confusion, Espér looked beyond the three boys and said:

"Oh, Kyou-nii-san is here to take me to the airport; bye guys~" Espér dashed up to her friend and cousin, and they both went, together, out of sight.

"How did the brat forget about everything?!" Gokudera scratched his head in wonder.

"Is it me, or-" _Is Espér a little more __**human**__? _Tsuna finished in his head. Yamamoto had interrupted.

"Well, we have to get to school, Tsuna, Gokudera, or we might get in trouble..." Yes, time was a very evil thing right now.

"EH?!"

"Reborn's training starts about two minutes after school."

"GREAT." Gokudera grimaced.

"Juudaime, the bell's going to ring!"

"Noo, little bell, don't ring!!" begged Vongola Juudaime.

_Ding dong Ding dong~_

_Ding dong Ding dong~_

"GAAHHH!"

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Well, that was weird.

Espér: True… *nods*

Anyway, the next arc will be coming up later sometime, so, be on the watch. :D

Also please read my writer's block induced story Wasted Life.

Thanks~

And…

Have an awesome break/week~!

xD


	31. Act 29: Letter

Well, I've finally decided to update. :]

I'll update up to Act 31, since I haven't split Act 32 yet. I've written all this so long ago, and I just decided to go ahead and upate.

Watch the story get better and better and better. Heh. xD

Happy Reading! [I don't own KHR.]

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The years flew by as paper flies in the wind; soon enough, Tsuna had completed middle and high school (miraculously) with his Guardians, and entered a special Mafioso university. Though his education hadn't been complete, the Ninth couldn't live any more, and passed away. Tsuna had been officially made Vongola Decimo. From the time Espér had disappeared out of their lives until Tsuna had been made Vongola Tenth, it had been seven years – one-and-a-half more years in middle school, three in high school, and two-and-a-half years in college. Mind you, he didn't finish his third year, hence the death of the Ninth.

Those were happy times; now, eh, not so much.

They've all matured so much in the space of seven years.

Tsuna was now twenty-two. Gokudera and Yamamoto were the same. The other Guardians were around the same age, with the exception of Lambo. He was twelve.

First of all, being a boss is so unbelievably _boring_. Tsuna was sitting in his office, reading and signing contracts, reading reports, and at meetings. In total, Tsuna worked twenty hours a day – two hours were reserved for resting periods and training, the other two for sleep.

Reborn had spoken true – in the mafia world, sleep is the one thing that Mafioso never get enough of.

Though Tsuna has been working so hard already, his Guardians were not that much better.

Gokudera worked twenty hours a day as well. Yamamoto worked eighteen. Ryohei dedicated nineteen hours of the day to the job. Hibari... well he's gone nearly all of the time. Mukuro's presence in the Vongola mansion would be as common as a tree growing in Antarctica. Lambo, along with his need for sleep as a pre-teen, had school, and needed to train himself to be as strong as the older Guardians he was always around, so he worked on the Vongola's paperwork about an hour a day. Of course, these rates were depending whether they had missions to carry out or not.

In total of about fifty-eight hour's worth of paper work done every day, averaging to about eight hours and fifteen minutes per person for the Boss and his Guardians (counting Hibari and Mukuro).

One of the very first things that Tsuna had ordered to be done, as Vongola Boss, was that Espér must be found. As he grew up and matured, he had helped many people along the way, and had learned their personal stories. He could not bear not to repay a favor, no matter how long ago it had happened. He remembered every little thing; sometimes he did not mind, however at other times, every detail was important.

And, of course, he had remembered the three favors she had done for the preservation of the younger Vongola family.

Kuro's meeting place had been one. The second had been how she had saved Tsuna's life. The third was how Espér had sent the family back to the past. To Tsuna's disappointment, she had disappeared out of his life.

He had called the best Vongola researchers and investigators to conduct a search for Espérer. It hadn't been until two years until they had discovered where Espér's apartment was.

"Juudaime!" called Gokudera. Tsuna looked up from his work, curiosity reflected in his eyes. Gokudera entered the room urgently, handing his Boss a small packet of papers. They made eye contact. Gokudera was serious.

"They've found her." Tsuna immediately stood up, glanced at the packet, took the papers into his own hands, and rushed out of his office. Reborn followed obediently after, along with Tsuna's right hand man. As Tsuna walked at his fast, hurried pace, he read some of the packet as Gokudera briefed him with some of the details. Another person, apparently the leader of the investigation, followed behind.

"She's situated at 40.835574 degrees North, 14.261606 degrees East of the Prime Meridian of London, Juudaime. It's in Naples; she owns an apartment there."

"Secure her; make sure she doesn't go anywhere at all. I've also got a few questions for her."

"Hai, Juudaime." Gokudera motioned to the person following them; he rushed away to carry out the Boss's orders.

They boarded the Vongola helicopter, joining Yamamoto on the chopper.

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The helicopter touched down around two blocks from where Espér's apartment was situated. The city of Naples was a busy place; however, Tsuna, Gokudera, and Yamamoto saw none but themselves as they dashed two blocks to the apartment complex.

With Tsuna in the lead, they burst through Espér's apartment number: 1136. The door hadn't been held up, nor locked. Tsuna stepped in anxiously, peering into each of the four rooms – bedroom, living room, bathroom, kitchen. The men already there said they haven't entered, since they were all sure that she was inside the minute they arrived, and they hadn't observed any sign of her leaving. Gokudera had discovered a note in the kitchen; Yamamoto found an open diary in her bedroom.

Espér wasn't there.

Gokudera looked at the folded note in his hands. It was a page ripped out of her open diary; however, he shrugged and didn't care. What was worrisome was it had been crumpled and had been stained with a few drops of blood. The area around the kitchen and bedroom had held signs of struggle and a multitude of action verbs are possible to describe them.

_**To: The Vongola Decimo and his subordinates**_

He unfolded the document, revealing beautiful script in the quill and fountain pens, as well as a traditional calligraphy letter starter.

_I don't know whether the choice I had made would change the fate of the world or not, though I have the strangest feeling I had. A few months ago, there was a man named Byakuran who started to follow me everywhere. Of course, I was bewildered. For a few weeks, I shooed him away; soon it was tiresome and not really worth it anymore. Every day he would scoot closer to me; closer and closer he would come. Just the other day, he dragged me off to a date._

_It was at what he called his house. It was a magnificent house, and we were the only two people in the dining hall. After dinner, he took me home. It was a simple deal; however, it had caught my attention. And now he has asked me to get away from this 'lowly' apartment, as he had said, and come live with him._

_I refused._

_And guess what happened? He dragged me over. First, he dragged most of my stuff over to a room he selected in his 'house' (more of a mansion?). When I came home, he was ready to grab me from behind, tie me down, and carry me over. That was yesterday._

_I snuck back home._

_Byakuran probably realized what I did, since he came over in the morning __while I was still sleeping__..._

_When I woke up today, there was a body on me. Naturally, I screamed, kicked the person off me, and headed straight for the bathroom (since it's private, and he's not likely going to enter without permission, I had originally thought). After locking the door, I sat, panting on the ground. And then I realized it was him in my bedroom, whining about how hard I had kicked him._

_For God's sake, he's a __**man**__! And with the authority he carries himself with, well he's bound to be some great leader of something, or something like that... Once I felt safe enough to not lean on the door, Byakuran barged in through the door, literally breaking it into shreds! And there he is, whining about how hard I kicked him. Well, breaking a door with a mere shoulder would at least hurt more than a little shove... Or maybe his nerves had been born with no sense of direction..._

_Nevertheless, he claims to have come to invite me to an amusement park, then forces me to agree to go with him. He says it's only for a day, and I'll be home by nightfall._

_I'm gone for the day. The whole day. And I'm not even sure if I'll get to get home by nightfall as Byakuran had promised._

_Vongola, if you ever get this message, pay attention very closely._

_There is something out there that's going to wipe out much of society's key people. There is something out there that's going to destroy the world if you don't act now. If you are at my apartment right this minute you are reading this, go to the bedroom and to my desk where my diary lays open. If you have misplaced it, or have removed it and placed it somewhere else, please put it back where it had been before, now. You must hurry. The key that is stuck in my diary's lock – take that out. Locate the second-to-the-bottom drawer in the left-hand column. There is a keyhole in it. Do not insert the key in the keyhole. Cover that keyhole; another will appear on the same drawer below the first. Insert the key in the keyhole. Turn it counter-clockwise for exactly two rounds. You will hear a click. However, do not attempt to open the drawer yet. Now, take out the key and cover this keyhole. Something will pop out of the last drawer on the right-hand side. It will be a long row of turn-able numbers. For all those who know the Vongola Vow, enter the number that matches each letter into the row of turning numbers. For example, 2 is A, B, and C, 3 is D, E, and F, etc. Once that is done, something else will click; the bottom drawer in the left-hand column will pop open. There should be two sheets of binder paper with two separate drawings on them, a stone, and a pacifier not unlike that of Reborn's. Though it is gray, please do not do anything harmful to it._

_These are some of my most precious possessions; however I give two of them to you – the binder paper drawings. And for the stone and the pacifier, under no condition must you inflict any damage to it, nor shall you turn it over to Byakuran. Were the hands of that man on my two most prized possessions, I am completely under their power. Do not question anything – just believe in me as I had believed in you, and follow the instructions I enclosed to you in this entry._

_Signed, with all the love, trust, hope, and faith I could muster,_

_Nera-Noir Corro Espérer_

Gokudera was silent. Yamamoto had been looking over his shoulder, and he held his breath in surprise. Tsuna took the document and read it over two times.

"I believe that we should at least try out what she says," reasoned the Vongola Boss. "Yamamoto, you have the diary?"

"Yeah."

"Put it where it was, exactly where it was before." Yamamoto had done so.

"Take the key out and find the second-to-bottom drawer in the left-hand side."

"Found it," called the Rain Guardian. However, his Boss stopped him before he would insert the key into the keyhole.

"Don't, Yamamoto. Eh, cover it with your finger – cover it completely," ordered Tsuna. Yamamoto nodded and put his finger in front of the keyhole, covering it.

"Eh? There's another one over here..." Yamamoto bent over to look at the new visible keyhole at a better angle.

"Put the key in that one, Yamamoto, and turn it two times counter-clock-wise."

Yamamoto nodded to show he would oblige.

_Click._

"Hey, there was a click..." frowned Yamamoto.

"She said it would, Yamamoto. Okay, uh, don't open the drawer yet. Take the key out, Yamamoto, and cover the keyhole with another finger..."

_Poof. _Tsuna's attention was diverted to the sound. It had come from the bottom drawer on the right-hand side.

"Eh, Gokudera... can you enter the code...?"

"Of course, Juudaime."

*93#273#843#*86646521#843#25261#*931#843#743551#7768328#843#73275#28#255#267871#66#628837#9438437#48#427#2336#267787833#67#27225331#*84471#8447#47#687#8691 was the long and tedious code he had to type in; poor Yamamoto had to keep his fingers jammed into keyholes for a full twenty minutes until the final click was heard.

_Click._

All three people sighed in relief. Though Yamamoto had to back up a little bit, the bottom left-hand drawer had opened up.

Tsuna knew he had to listen to his senses, but he pulled the drawer completely open. Though both the stone and the pacifier had not been there, the two sheets of binder paper were still there.

They had been lying face-down.

Gokudera took the two sheets; Yamamoto moved to allow more room to move in, and released his two fingers from their positions. The drawer suddenly slid back into place, however wasn't able to, as Gokudera's hands were still stuck.

The Storm Guardian visibly cursed at the Rain Guardian, however pulled his hands out. Luckily, both sheets had survived the ordeal.

One was a drawing of someone that closely resembled Tsuna, though he was dressed in regular clothes and had lighter hair. The sketch was in pencil, so it was not possible to discern colors. Behind him, the people were amazing as well. A grey-haired man with hair covering his ears. Not quite Gokudera, but had a striking resemblance. Behind that man were others; there were two short black-haired men, one with black hair covering his ears, another grey-haired guy, and one more person – Rokudo Mukuro.

The second one was of that person that looked like Tsuna again. He was younger, and there was a little blonde girl chasing him. They were dressed in scarves and overcoats; rain hit the earth as a flurry of bullets would hit a target. Their faces held smiles, so sincere and honest that it seemed to be their last true smiles before they part.

Both had been signed and explained out by Espér. On the first one, she wrote:

_In focus: Vongola Primo, Giotto Dicordia. Vongola second-in-command, Conlicci-falco Gokudera, the Storm Guardian. Behind, in the shadows, are the rest of the Guardians of the original Vongola Famiglia. Among them are: Lord Ursuria, Prince William Tudor, Baron Edmond Ulysses, Ioda Ringald, and Chrodoté Vistado._

_According to the books and knowledge my good colleague had published and given to me, they are all part of a group called the Vongola Famiglia, a major sect of the Mafia world. Firstly, the Boss had been the youngest among the main Family members. He died at twenty-five. His Guardians have all died between the ages of nineteen and twenty-seven, though none had lived past each of those six deaths but their Boss. He had been the last to die of the original Famiglia._

_The Vongola Secondo, named Ilildoro Dicordia, was Vongola Primo's cousin. Once the Vongola Famigila had lost its Guardians, he lost his patience and decided to take over the Vongola and rule the Famiglia himself. He murdered the Vongola Primo under cold blood in a sacred room where rumor had said had been the exact same room the famed Xanxus, adopted son of Vongola Nono and leader of the assassination team Varia, had been frozen._

_History also reveals that Vongola Primo had a little sister – Cortienne Dicordia. Though there isn't sufficient information to say much about her, it is clear that she had been unable to inherit the Vongola throne because of being a girl and because of her weak physical state and fragileness._

_In that time and age of the Mafia history, the Estreano had been in power for the last few decades. They crushed all those who rose against them, and in the process, killed Giotto's parents._

Gokudera gaped, and he fell into state of denial when he saw the date – the very same day ten years ago, when Gokudera had looked at what Espér had been doing, however the girl had slipped both sheets into her backpack. These two sheets were the very same ones that Espér had drawn so long ago...

And where did she get so much information in such little time? The writing looked as if Espér had used the exact same pencil and style she drew the picture with. Gokudera could only assume she knew everything before she had even entered their lives.

On the second sheet of binder paper, she wrote:

_April 1643: Naples, Italy_

_In focus: Giotto and Cortienne Dicordia, The First Boss and Pearl of the Original Vongola Famiglia. The background depicted is the streets of the olden-times Naples – the family had lived in a small apartment in the city; the time is two years after the killing of their parents. Those who stand in the background are a mixture of Vongola and Estreano agents and spies. Though the Estreano weren't aware of the Vongola, the Vongola were only too aware of the Estreano._

_Though Giotto had been only seventeen in this sketch, and his sister five, he had already formed the Vongola Famiglia, which, by this time, already became a force not to be reckoned with. Its existence was a secret, for they weren't yet ready to face the Estreano._

_Vongola Primo had already been taught a multitude of things, and was rumored to be a blessed being, for he knew things even the best scholars, scientists, and experts never had known before. This was, in a way, a certain degree of advanced cunning the Estreano never had. However, the Vongola didn't have the manpower, nor the firepower, to take down a mafia family with networks and connections all over the world at the time._

Tsuna was astounded. He simply could not believe what he had seen, what he had read, what information Espér had written down. It was top-secret, classified information; she even knew parts of the Primo's _personal_ life! There were parts that even he had not known...

He, like Gokudera, was shocked by the date. This binder paper is already ten years old. How much, exactly, did Espér know back then?! And how much does she know now?!

Tsuna, for a second, thought that it might have been suitable for Espér to be a hacker, a spy, or something. But now she was in the Millifore Boss's hands. They couldn't get to her; there was no use raiding the Millifore Headquarters for that single person.

He thought back to the letter. _It said that the drawer had a pacifier, a stone, and these two sheets. Where were the pacifier and stone? _He mentally cursed. _Of course, Byakuran. He was in the room when he proposed Espér go with him to the amusement park. Though we don't know if he left for Espér to write the letter, he might have seen it and taken them. But how could he get through the locks on the desk?_

Though his question went unanswered, Yamamoto broke the silence.

"What is she planning?" frowned the Rain Guardian, "I mean, what's the use giving these to us?"

"Be quiet, sword-idiot. There might be something hidden in it, anyways, like DNA tracings, codes, and who-knows-what."

"... You might be right, Gokudera," Tsuna faced the men surrounding the apartment, "Search the apartment for anything suspicious. I want to know exactly what happened today, yesterday, and the day before (if possible) in this apartment. Gokudera, hold this. When we get back to headquarters, make sure those three sheets are scanned for traces of human DNA." And Tsuna exited the room.

He was vastly worried about Espér, as well as perplexed. It was a total mess. He kept thinking back, farther and farther, digging into his memory to find anything regarding Espér.

He didn't find what he wanted, however he found something else. Two things, in fact.

One had been the dream he had when he had been held captive with the Millifore, directly after the first appearance of the bird, Cortienne.

_Wait, what?! Cortienne Dicordia, sister of Vongola Primo. What is she doing as a bird? Isn't she dead? Or maybe their names were merely coincidental...? _Tsuna calmed down and focused on what he was thinking.

It had been a dream, possibly of him being Vongola Primo. But why would he have such a dream? How did he dream that nightmare?

The Guardians were all killed off, as well as the one Tsuna accused not to be his rightful Guardian. Tsuna thought back to his accusation guiltily. He remembered the whole dream vividly and clearly. Parts of which were horrible, more horrible than most of the things he had seen in his lifetime.

The part he remembered most vividly had been this:

_A mass of gunshots. The sound of bodies hitting the ground..._

"_Everyone, dead?" mumbled Tsuna. He was numb all over. No, not everyone. Gokudera's still here, isn't he? The Gokudera beside him nodded solemnly. Then Tsuna got a good look at the man that was helping him. He looked nearly like the Gokudera he knew. Then who was this?_

"_No, no, no, no. This is all wrong..." Tsuna shook off Gokudera and stood by himself. Tsuna pointed authoritvely at Gokudera._

"_You're not Gokudera," he accused._

"_Boss!"_

"_If you are not Gokudera Hayato, if you are not my Storm Guardian, then you are not my right hand man and not my rightful Guardian!"_

"_No, Boss! This is all wrong! Even though my last name is Gokudera and my first name is not Hayato, I am your rightful Storm Guardian! I am your right hand man! I can even show you." He took out a ring from his pocket._

"_No. That had been stolen! You probably had killed Gokudera off long ago and took his place as a spy for another family!"_

"_No, NO, BOSS! BOSS! I've been your Storm... I've been your Storm, for a long time, in fact, since we've been middle school... No, I can't worry about these things right now. I need to get the poison out of you, Boss."_

"_NO! You are not going to 'take the poison out of me'! I'm perfectly fine! Plus, even if I do have poison in myself, you would 'treat' me with something harmful and kill me!"_

"_Boss..." Gokudera looked at Tsuna with pleading eyes, to at least cure him of this possibly lethal chemical. And then, bang._

_A gunshot._

_Gokudera had fallen to the ground, shot in the chest._

"_Gokudera!" Tsuna coughed. And then he coughed more, and more, until he felt like that he no longer had the luxury of breathing._

And then Tsuna realized that Espér's drawings have indeed been accurate; Gokudera Hayato wasn't exactly like Gokudera Conlicci-falco, however they had strong likeness between them.

But something else caught his attention. They were the memories of the seven images that Tsuna didn't remember seeing, ever.

_It was like a scrapbook of memories, though there were no pages. They were a bit off-color, showing their age..._

_There was a person holding a baby. The background showed that it was probably a very, very long ago. The bedroom looked as if it belonged to the rich. However, before Tsuna could note anything else, there was a scene change._

_Another person was holding another baby wrapped in a cloth. The person was younger, about eleven or twelve years of age. He held a bundle of cloth with a baby. The bedroom was the same as the one before. Scene changed again._

_This time, it was a holiday. The boy was older in this picture, the same person who held the baby in the previous picture. He had wild, blonde hair and big, kind eyes of brown. His mouth was curled up in a smile. There was another child holding a box with a ribbon on top to the boy. She had long, flowing blonde hair, with stunning crimson eyes. The picture was switched out for another._

_The wild-haired boy's eyes turned dull; they didn't show as much innocence as before. Beside him walked a person with grey hair covering his ears, hands in his pockets. At the other end of the picture, behind the two shyly trailed the little, innocent girl with crimson eyes. Her eyes showed fear. They walked through the streets lined with little stores and restaurants._

_The next picture showed another holiday with the two siblings, but the boy's eyes were worried and alert, whereas the girl's eyes were half-full of joy and half-worried about her brother. The boy was in front, dragging the girl away from possibly a potential danger in the midst of a circus grounds._

_This picture was the most pitiful of them all: the boy had a tired look to his eyes, along with a worried look. He sat at a throne and looked down at the person kneeling at his feet. That person kneeling at his feet was the innocent crimson-eyed girl. In her hands laid a gun. The girl's face looked sadly at her brother, whose face held scars too many to count and was pale enough to compare with the moon. She silently implored her brother not to do this. His reply was a sad look on his face, softly and gently saying that there was no choice left._

_And the last picture was the graveyard. Six gravestones were seen along the bottom of the photo. Beside those gravestones was a coffin, a large "I" marking directly below the Vongola coat of arms._

They must be a chronicle of Giotto and Cortienne's history, as Tsuna already had an idea what Cortienne and Giotto looked like. Actually, he knew all too well what they look like now.

However, before he could think any more, they had arrived at the Headquarters.

Tsuna motioned to Gokudera to do his errand, before returning to his office to catch some sleep.

Little did he know, it was the beginning of the end.

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Keep on reading next Act… :]


	32. Act 30: Millifore Hostage

I don't own KHR.

Keep on going… xD

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With Espér in the Millifore's control, she was at first used as a messenger.

For a while, she remained in that position. She saw the first time Mukuro had infiltrated the Millifore; however, she was soon moved to another position – the direct subordinate of the mighty Byakuran. Like a lapdog, she was kept with Byakuran at all times. More like Byakuran ordered her to follow him everywhere, or else she will face certain death, along with the deaths of her friends (meaning by the Vongola). She watched Mukuro come in through Byakuran's office, report some things, and leave.

_Espér, shush. Be quiet; it's me, Mukuro. _That was what Mukuro had said to her first. Espér had merely looked at him curiously, though.

The second time, he said this: _Espér, listen. You are in a lot of danger. Byakuran's a very evil man, and he's much like a tyrant. Get out, right now. _His warning went unheeded. Espér knew all too well, that for her, escape is impossible. Byakuran had taken her rock and her pacifier; he had complete control over her, and she didn't want to let her secret out. Mukuro, on the other hand, had no idea. Her best bet was to pretend she didn't know him. At least she'll be able to live another day, with a free mind and a perfectly operating body.

_I told you, Espér, get out, please! Espérer, now! You could die, Espér, please! _Once more, his words were ignored.

However, once, when Mukuro was reporting, there came an emergency meeting, only allowing certain people to attend; Byakuran was one of those people. He rushed off and left Espér where she was.

Espér heaved a sigh of relief.

"Mukuro, I know. He is dangerous, oh he could hurt you, please get out..." she glared at Mukuro coldly.

"Please, Espér, get out, before he kills you!"

"Oh, pardon me, why are you here then?!"

"I have to gather information, but as for now, you should get the hell out of here! Unlike me, you don't have a weapon! And do you know how to fight at all?! Probably not good enough to stand up to Byakuran anyways."

"You're pushing this too far, Mukuro," Espér growled. "He's in control of my life, Mukuro! There's no use running!"

Mukuro raised an eyebrow at the child.

"Hey, come to think of it, you're a little short for your age, Espér..."

Espér twitched.

"You don't know how old I am, Mukuro."

"Yes, I do."

"Tell me: how old am I?"

"You're, eh, seventeen, Espér."

"Noope. _Wrong..._"

"Liar. You were ten seven years ago."

"I am not seventeen."

"Sixteen?"

"NO."

"Eighteen?"

"Nope."

"Then what?!"

"Ageless, as you are, baka-nappo," scowled Espér.

"Eh? Why?"

"Because I'm..." Espér mouthed her answer.

"Eh, I didn't hear you. Speak up, Espér..."

"I only say my answers once, Mukuro," hissed Espér. She shot another fierce glare at Mukuro, He chuckled.

"Being stubborn, hmm?"

"Kurosei," she averted her eyes to the door. Mukuro peered at her curiously. [Kurosei is Japanese for Shut Up.]

"Why was that in Japanese...?"

"I said, KUROSEI, BAKA-NAPPO." She growled. "He's coming."

And as she said, Byakuran burst through the doors of his office, and then froze.

"Step away from her, Leo-kun," he smiled crookedly.

"Ah, of course, Byakuran-sama." Mukuro bowed and stepped away.

"Leo-kun, I said: _step away _from my Espér." Byakuran's grin widened.

"Oh, sorry, Byakuran-sama." Mukuro backed away and left quite hastily.

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That night...

Mukuro was at his computer, uploading information and hacking into Millifore's server and system. He was stunned by what Espér had said that day. He was stunned by how much sense everything made if he put two and two together. But in the way she had explained it, Mukuro knew it was vital to keep it a secret. Even if it took him to the grave, he won't tell unless Espér herself will permit it.

At the same time, Espér didn't want to get into bed. She was already in her pajamas; however she felt uncomfortable sleeping so close to Byakuran himself. She knew he stressed the part where she had to be with him all the time; she didn't like the part where she had to _sleep_ with him. She would have even preferred the ground had it not been for Byakuran, ordering her about to stay with him. She was at least happy she was allowed to go to the bathroom and shower with a wall of wood, which Byakuran isn't going to pay for when it breaks, between them. She knew that Byakuran treats her like a slave-girlfriend, like a wife to order around to his content. But she couldn't do anything about it, ironically.

She was very reluctant to go to bed tonight. She had no excuse not to go to bed anyways; Byakuran had made sure of that as well. She sighed. Espér knew that Mukuro now knew her secret. But she made herself have some faith in him; as long as he doesn't tell, she's fine. The problem is, Byakuran knew all too well what her secrets were, what they were about, and every single aspect of her – her history, her information, her personality, everything. Espér especially didn't like that. It had inspired him to try to take over the world with this knowledge (yes, it's that valuable and powerful).

Byakuran wasn't in bed yet; he was still working. Espér loathed the idea to sleep before Byakuran slept – who knew what he would do to her? Espér shuddered, thinking of the possibilities.

And so she sat, unhappily waiting for Byakuran to finish his work for the day.

Her thoughts drifted back to the Millifore Boss. They have 'romantic dinners' together four times a week already. Other nights, Byakuran has work to do, so he eats dinner while working. Byakuran and she have lunch together every day in the office and never get up and sleep without seeing the other. She is surprised by the gentleness he uses to handle her; from the first days he started to follow her home to the business of his life as Boss, he has always treated her with kindness, gentleness, and a sort of air of protection, as if he wants to protect her from evil things...

He appears apologetic when he says he would have to kill the Vongola Famiglia if she doesn't follow his orders, as if he thinks that the 'friends' she has are evil and a bad influence for her. He was always polite to Espér, and **sometimes** respecting of her personal space.

But it was now one in the morning; Espér took quite a few concerned glances at the clock. She yawned and thought of something to do to keep her awake. Writing in her diary was definitely not one of them. She had no diary, and she didn't want Byakuran rummaging around her stuff. She thought of playing solitaire or something, but it was too boring to drag her off the bed to get a pack of cards.

By the time it was one-thirty, she was fast asleep on her side, facing and on the edge of the bed.

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She woke up the next morning aching all over in a way she had never felt before. She groaned. She was tired... It was six in the morning, too. Of course, Byakuran was laying on the other edge of the bed. Espér stretched and craned her neck to see if he was hiding something.

He wasn't, but he was sleeping.

She breathed a sigh of relief, but wondered for a second why she hurt all over. _Great... He inspected me while I was sleeping... _A wave of heat swept over her face. _I hope he didn't do __**that**__... Oh, please don't tell me you did it... no, no, no, no, no, please, you didn't..._ She took in deep breaths and eventually calmed herself down. Espér slowly got up and snuck to the bathroom. However, she was caught on her way.

"Hnn... Tsuku-chan... where'd you go? Come here..." Espér mentally sighed and did what he bid. She walked back to the edge of the bed and stood there. Byakuran sat up and turned around.

_He was shirtless._

_HE WAS FRIKKIN' SHIRTLESS! I SLEPT WITH A SHIRTLESS MAFIA BOSS!! WHY OH WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME?!_

Espér flushed in embarrassment again, and she looked to the floor.

"Hmm? What's wrong?" frowned Byakuran.

"N-Nothing, Byakuran-sama..."

"Well, to cheer you up, you deserve to have a hug~!" he grinned.

_WHAT?! A hug, with a SHIRTLESS GUY?!_

"A-Are you sure, Byakuran-sama?" Espér still stared at the ground.

"Of course; only for Tsuku-chan~"

"Mmnn..." pouted the girl. She reluctantly sat down on the bed, but had her back facing Byakuran.

"What's wrong, Tsuku-chan? Is it me?" Byakuran frowned and crawled over, sitting down next to Espér.

_...all he wore to bed was a pair of boxers...?! NOOOO... OH PLEASE, TELL ME IT DIDN'T HAPPEN, PLEASE!_

Espér looked away, turning her head so that Byakuran couldn't see it. She was entirely red and very, very uncomfortable. Only a blind man wouldn't see at a glance that she was uncomfortable, nervous, and obviously trying to deny something. As Espér's head turned farther and farther, Byakuran's seeking eyes followed it, leaning farther in and farther in, and in the end, Byakuran rolled over, his head landing in Espér's lap. Espér's head turned back to Byakuran's head in shock. She turned ten thousand times redder than before.

"Ohh, so _that's _it..." he grinned.

She impulsively threw his head to the floor and scooted in to the center of the bed, hiding her face. Byakuran fell off the bed.

"Kukuku... So you're still young, Tsuku-chan. And as ever, the young are highly sensitive," he said and got up. He crawled back on the bed and looked at Espér.

"When are you going to come out of your little shell, Tsuku-chan?" frowned the Boss of Millifore. Espér remained silent, waiting for him to leave.

"Aww, don't be the porcupine, Tsuku-chan~ At least show me your face..."

Espér glanced up at Byakuran, and hid her face once more. Byakuran sighed.

"Okay then, fine, whatever." He got up and went into the bathroom to start brushing his teeth, leaving Espér totally stunned and confused. She peeked after him.

She didn't know how to react to what he did. Half of her says that she should feel horrible that she made him unhappy; Espér wasn't one to anger or to sadden other people. The other half of her says that it's best for her to just shrug it off.

In other words, she didn't know whether to glare at him, or to scream at him, or to yell at him, or to pity him, or to make him get himself a better emotion. She was utterly stumped...

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Espér soon learned a number of things about the Millifore Famiglia. First, to her surprise, Irie Shouichi was Byakuran's right-hand-man, his most trusted subordinate he had. Since he wasn't in Japan yet, he and Byakuran were planning out how to knock down the remainder of the Families that still are resisting their power, including both the Cavallone and the Vongola. Espér was obviously very upset about this.

One day, Irie asked Byakuran if he could talk to Espér by herself. Byakuran happily obliged to allow his trusted sub-ordinate talk to another, without his presence, and left the room. Irie turned to Espér and said:

"Espér, what are you doing here?!"

"You don't know? I was made to follow him everywhere..."

"But why? Surely you aren't working for him?"

"I don't do anything, really..."

"Look – in our discussions, just me and Byakuran, he told me that there is flame power radiating off of you. It's like a free power-enhancer. If you're with him, his flame strength and power multiplies by more than hundredfold! What are you doing, strengthening him to near invincible? Get out of this place; it's too dangerous for you to stay."

"Hey, wasn't that what Mukuro said? And plus – if Byakuran-sama has found a use for me, then he's likely not going to be killing me anytime soon."

"Mukuro? How do you know him, anyways?"

"Never mind that. Why are you telling me to get out of here, though?"

"The Vongola plan to bomb the place."

"Hmm? Well, then why didn't Mukuro tell me?"

"I don't know – but still, you better leave as soon as possible. They plan to bomb it soon."

"Then shouldn't you tell Byakuran-sama?"

Irie blinked.

"I-I... okay, fine. I work for the Vongola-"

"EH?!"

"Shhh, I was going to say undercover, okay?"

"Which famiglia was the Vongola again...?" Espér tilted her head to the side and peered at Irie. To her, Irie worked for the Millifore. Her brain couldn't process the information that he was actually working for the Vongola when he was working for the Millifore. Really, it didn't make much sense to her, in the midst of everything else that she couldn't get, such as the rest of the mafia, or how the mafia works.

"You don't know...?"

"I don't remember is a better way to say it..."

"Well, it's the family that Tsuna leads..."

"Tsuna...?"

Irie was appalled.

"Espér, are you alright? Espér?!"

"Eh? Is there anything wrong at all...?" frowned Espér in confusion. Irie sighed.

"Espér – Espér, are you sure you're fine?" He grabbed hold of Espér's shoulders and shook them violently. "Espér!"

"No- stop, stop, STOP!" said Espér. Irie let go of her. The girl sighed.

"Okay, now, Irie, explain to me, what-" Both heads turned towards the door.

Byakuran came through the door, muttering, "Sorry, Shou-chan, can't talk, emergency. Come on, Tsuku-chan. Shou-chan, you can come if you want to."

Both of his sub-ordinates nodded and followed him.

"Okay, Shou-chan, you know the recent movements of the Vongola, right? Brief me on them."

"Well, I have discovered a plan to bomb this very headquarters, Byakuran-sama."

"Oh, really? And how will this bombing take place, exactly?"

"It will absolutely destroy the headquarters at 10:37 am, not a second early or late. Bombs have been placed in the center of each major holding room, as well as the captains' offices. I would advise evacuation, Byakuran-sama," said Irie.

"Okay then, Shou-chan. As you would like it. Evacuate everyone in the headquarters, and ready another Millifore branch to be the new headquarters, out in the forest. What type of explosive?"

"Various."

"Anything nuclear?"

"No."

"Good. But are they guaranteed to absolutely demolish the place?"

"I'm afraid so."

Espér listened to this exchange of information in absolute silence, her eyes following the path they walked upon, her attitude humble and obedient. She was shocked. She was in absolute shock.

_Tsuna, of all people, __**bombing**__? And how did the bombs get inside? Why would the Vongola, those kind, carefree people I had met back then, turn into killers, uncaring to whomever died in the bombing process? What if the explosion would kill an innocent bystander? Why, why have they sunk so low as to __**kill**__? Not even I had sunk so low, and yet I have seen more, done much more than they had in our ten years apart... Why, oh why, Tsuna's eyes, the wide, innocent eyes of a bubbling teenager, young and so full of life – have they now dulled, as Onii-san's have done before him?_

"Tsuku-chan~?" called Byakuran, pulling Espér out of her thoughts once more. They were on a plane now, with most of the captains on board. They were enclosed in a private room to talk.

"Would you be so kind as to wear this at least _once_~?" Espér blinked a few times and looked at the jacket Byakuran held up. It was a Millifore jacket, patched with black and white in a very artistic way. The guilds were made of ivory, electrum [gold mixed with silver], silver, gold, quartz, and diamond. It was obviously customized, just for her. Espér accepted it, took off her own jacket, and put it on.

It fit, exactly to her body.

"Eh...? It fits – a little too perfectly... who made this?"

"A tailor," grinned Byakuran. "I had to measure you really thoroughly to get that, and it took all night."

Espér immediately blushed a thousand shades of red, and averted her eyes again to the floor. Irie frowned. On impulse, he thought, _She's so young, and Byakuran's much older than her. _But then he returned to the logical side of thinking. He was twenty-four, he was sure. And Espér over there looked roughly half his age. If he remembered correctly, seven years ago, she was ten. That meant that she was seven years younger than he. Now, she was seventeen. But why does she look like she only aged by three years? Is she extremely good at taking care of herself, always eating and exercising well? That wasn't likely... Did she go through plastic surgery? Not likely either. Irie didn't get it, but he mentally shrugged his shoulders and dropped the subject.

"Oh yeah, and from that same tailor, Tsuku-chan, I got this." Byakuran showed Espér a folded pair of jeans. Espér blushed even deeper. _He really did it... OMG NOOO..._

"Th-Thanks, Byakuran-sama..."

"Yeah, well, keep on wearing them, Tsuku-chan. Once a week is fine, but keep wearing the coat."

"Ehh...sure..."

"Oh, and Shou-chan..." Byakuran grinned at Irie, "I've been hearing that you've been leaving your coat in your room..."

"Oh-ehh, I try to keep it with me... The Cervello have been reminding me a lot these past few days, though."

"Good Shou-chan. Trying is good."

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There was a ghost in the attic, says Dino.

There is a ghost in the attic, says Yamamoto.

There still is a ghost in the attic, says Reborn.

And of course...

Gokudera-kun, there's something up in the attic... you should go check it out, says Tsuna.

But when the lower-down captains started talking, that was when Gokudera got interested.

_It was the leopard... Yes, the evil leopard, rampaging about its cage. The ghost leopard is hungry; Signor Gokudera, please don't go... it might eat you alive..._

Of course, Gokudera was climbing up the winding staircase at the end of the headquarters. By the time he reached the top, he felt a small feeling of being there before. However, he shrugged it off and looked around for any sort of thing that might have been bothering the entire mansion and its inhabitants. It was entirely silent, unmoving, and covered completely with spider web. Not like it made the scene snowy, but it was everywhere in small amounts – a web there, a web here. There were no overlapping spider webs. The Storm Guardian knew the attic hadn't been visited in a long time, but it wasn't like it was since forever, right? And since when have spider webs been so neat?

Columns of boxes rose above his head like looming towers. Rows of cupboards and shelves lined the walls. As Gokudera explored each little nook and cranny, he noticed the air get a _little _cold- no, scratch that, BLUE ICE cold. He could even feel the spider webs around him ice up. Gokudera could see the breath come out and turn into mist. He looked around cautiously and suspiciously, but saw no-one. He took a step, and then another. He checked every spot he didn't check, and rechecked those he did. Nothing.

_Was it really a ghost? Come to think of it, why is there a ghost of an evil leopard here? _But before Gokudera could generate more questions to scientifically solve, he heard something. Something faint and hard to hear. Gokudera whipped around, facing the direction he was previously facing his back to. His head turned in all directions, alert and piercing. The sound came again. And again. And again. Gokudera listened well for a second, then started to move towards the sound. There was a sudden hiss, or a snarl, or some type of sound that made Gokudera's skin crawl. He inched nearer, closer to the side of the box-wall. He never thought how loudly he breathed. Was it ever that loud? He held his breath, then steadily tilted his head to see what was beyond.

It was a cat. With leopard-like fur patterns, so no wonder it had been described as a leopard. It hissed and it spat and its fur stood on end, however Gokudera did not back away. In fact, he didn't do anything at all. He just plain didn't want to move. Once again, the 'familiar' feeling came back, but he ignored it, again. He slowly kneeled down on his knees and peered at the little kitten. He realized it was a box weapon.

Gokudera held out his hand to the red-eyed leopard-patterned kitten, and the feline quieted down. Its head tilted to the side. Then, slowly, it put its paw on Gokudera's hand, unsheathed. Of course, the Storm Guardian had to hold in his cry of pain as the claws dug into his skin; nevertheless, the cat seemed to smile, and purred. It crawled into Gokudera's palm and fell asleep in about five seconds. Once it was safely asleep, Gokudera decided not to awaken the box animal. He looked around again, before seeing the box it had come out of.

_Innocenti original, _noted the Storm Guardian. He took the red box in his hand. _It matches with the others that I have... _He slipped the box into his pocket and left the attic, heading straight for his office, and locked his door, sat down at his desk, and put both the box animal and its box on the desk.

_You look so much like that Uri, little kitten. So I'll name you Uri too. _Gokudera, however, looked at the box. It was red, probably advising the user to feed Uri with Storm flames. Lighting his ring, Gokudera put it near the box, so it'll warm up by the heat and probably absorb some of its flame. Uri slowly woke up and stretched. It looked to Gokudera. Uri was just sitting there, looking at Gokudera for a long while. He frowned. _If this is really the Uri I had to deal with ten years in the future, how will Uri be of any use at all?!_

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I still have next Act to go through. And again, I wrote this a long time ago.


	33. Act 31: Timeless Connections

I say it again: I wrote this a long time ago.

Keep on reading!! xD

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"URI, WHERE ARE YOU?! JUUDAIME IS LATE FOR THE MEETING JUST BECAUSE OF YOU! NOW STOP RUNNING AND COME TO ME!" growled a very, very angry Gokudera.

"Ah- Gokudera-kun, why are you yelling at a little kitten? It just wants attention. You should let it out more often, you know?" cried Tsuna, as he dashed about with Gokudera, helping him find the runaway box animal. Both were decked out in formal clothing, which didn't do anything but limit their mobility.

"What time is it, Gokudera-kun?!"

"10:02, Juudaime!"

"When was the meeting supposed to start?!"

"10:00!"

"Great; adding in the time I'll have to take to get there, it'll be 10:22 already!"

"Ah, Juudaime, don't worry; I'll get Uri!" And so he whipped out his whip with an evil smile, thinking of cornering the poor animal.

"Eh- Gokudera-kun, please, why don't you let me handle this...?"

"No, it's okay, really..."

"Gokudera-kun..." Tsuna's voice was stern.

"Okay..." He backed off.

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"Come, Tsukiri," Byakuran ordered. The poor girl followed obediently. They were in the new Headquarters now; two and a half years have passed. They had just alighted from their plane, and were now walking briskly through the Headquarters. The walls echoed eerily with their fast-paced footsteps, however both Byakuran and Irie paid no heed to their message. Espér immediately blanked out, walking ahead numbly and as if in a trance.

It was already night –9:56 at night.

"We are awaiting the visit of Vongola Juudaime, Sawada Tsunayoshi, Byakuran-sama. Are you sure you don't want me to receive them outside for you?" smiled Irie.

"You can do it, if you really want to. It's just a little family," he shrugged, "Though a very stubborn one no doubt." He frowned at this, but looked to Espér.

"What do you think?"

"Hmm..? Is Bya-chan talking to me...?"

"Mhmm."

"Well... probably, sure," she decided.

"Come," Byakuran smiled, "You're coming with me. I've got an exellent spot to see absolutely everything, my child~"

"Eh...? Okay..." Byakuran led her up a few floors, away from Irie, who went to the front of the building to greet the visiting boss, his Guardians, and his top subordinates.

Meanwhile, Irie Shouichi frowned as he made his way across the hall, out to the main entrance. Approximately twenty armed men followed behind him, and four Cervello women flanked his either side. He felt horrible about the events that will surely follow; Byakuran had already planned the entire meeting out already, mainly based on Espér's descriptions of their personalities and how they would react to certain situations. Irie literally thought that Byakuran had brainwashed her; little by little, Irie began to see Espér as quieter, more relying on Byakuran for support, what to do, and the like, as if he was her world. It worried him, as the Espér he knew as the real Espér wasn't like that. And he was appalled by how much information she had spilled to Byakuran, whenever he would ask for it. She literally had told him everything she knew. The Millifore Boss was obviously up to something with Espér, Irie was sure of it.

Nevertheless, he stood, waiting for Tsuna and his Guardians to arrive. Dark, gloomy clouds decorated the sky – a certain omen of grief, evil, and the death of the sky.

When Shouichi had finally glimpsed the faintest row of sleek, black cars roll along, he signaled his men to ready their weapons, with a bitter emotion hidden deep within the recesses of his heart. A few servants opened the door to one of the cars. Tsuna, Gokudera, and Yamamoto stepped out into the light. Tsuna and Irie met eyes. The Vongola Boss neared the Millifore. It started to drizzle.

"Ah, Irie Shouichi," Tsuna said fluently, hiding his surprise well. As he was digging around with Espér's little mystery, many memories and little details regarding her had surfaced, along with the memories of Espér disappearing all the time to play with Irie, who had been in high school at the time.

"Vongola Decimo," nodded Irie.

"Well, I apologize for my tardiness, as a few things needed to be prepared."

"There is nothing to be rushed, Sawada Tsunayoshi, as Byakuran has been patient with your coming."

"Thanks, Irie." The drizzle doubled its strength.

"No, it is I who should be sorry, Tsuna. I feel regret doing this for Byakuran, but... there is no choice, Vongola." He smiled crookedly, and all twenty men pulled out their firearms and aimed at Tsuna. Bullets came cutting through the air, all focused on one target – Sawada Tsunayoshi. Irie himself bitterly pulled out a gun, aimed at Tsuna, and started to fire. He thought, _The bullets, the gun Kuro-sama had given me, only if it would work as she had claimed it to... The only way to save the Vongola, and their Boss is to die, and live another day._

Tsuna, being attacked at all sides, had no choice but to flare his Hyper Dying Will into flame and fly up into the sky, where less bullets could reach him. However, before he could escape into the safety of altitude soon enough, a black flame bullet came ripping into his shoulder. He cried out in pain; his right hand went limp. He clenched his teeth.

_I can do this, I can do this... _ Another black flamed bullet imbedded itself into his other shoulder, immediately followed by a third in his back. And then he plummeted. He dove back to the earth, his Flame stronger and more powerful than Tsuna had held it in his life. He was leaking Flame. The earth crumbled beneath his body; courses of fire trailed deep into the ground. A crater was formed in the middle of the courtyard, and a multitude of the men remained, still shooting into the crater. Steam and smoke shielded his injured and bleeding body from sight. Rain poured from the sky as a pot of water would filter through a screen – a cascade of falling water.

"JUUDAIME!!" screamed Gokudera. He had been attempting to fight off the bullets with his Sistema C.A.I., however the bullets, it seemed, the black-flamed ones from Irie's gun, passed through whatever shield Gokudera could put up. He and Uri scrambled to where Tsuna had fallen to the earth, with Yamamoto at his tail, reflecting all bullets that came their way. Gokudera and Yamamoto both were soaked through to the skin, though were too worried to notice.

"Juudaime...Juudaime, please be alright, Juudaime..." he mumbled. Yamamoto looked around for Tsuna, or anybody that might be able to help him. The officers that Tsuna, Gokudera, and Yamamoto had brought with them had all been killed, and now lay on the ground, strewn with gore. The Sistema C.A.I. Gokudera put up was holding for the moment; however, he was not sure whether Tsuna was okay.

They had neared Tsuna's body enough to see it. He was still alive, thank God, however only barely clinging onto life. He had rolled, so that his back faced the sky, and attempted to lift himself up, straining his injured shoulder muscles. The black aura of the bullets started to eat at his skin, and Tsuna struggled. He fell to the ground with a groan, and, because of the slope, he was turned face to the sky.

"Gokudera-kun...Yamamoto...you remember...what I said about...how I would die...?" he mumbled, staring straight at the heavy clouds of tears. Oh, how the Guardians wished to keep on hearing that voice, cheerful and happy, to warm their hearts and to give them something to call home.

"No, no, Juudaime, Don't talk like that! Juudaime, hang in there, please! Please!" Gokudera, panicking hard, started to try to lift Tsuna up. "You'll be at the hospital soon enough, Juudaime!" Yamamoto helped Gokudera, and half-had him in both their hands.

"I told you, both of you – when I _do_ die, someday, today..." he closed his eyes. Blood was running out of his injuries; the damage was heavy.

"No, Juudaime! Don't say such things! Don't-Don't go, please!"

"Just...remember...to give Espér...my thanks..." he smiled.

"Juudaime, no, please..." he was on the verge of tears. When he looked at Yamamoto, he, too, looked like his heart had been split in two. Uri, loyally staying with Gokudera at his heels, if anybody cared at all to see, she was crying. She was silent, yes, and the tears had been hidden among the millions of tears the roof of the world had shed in the grief and loss of the sky.

"We can't go on," panted Yamamoto. "It's probably too late; the nearest hospital is about half a kilometer away. Tsuna can't survive a half-kilo, Gokudera."

"No, we have to keep going. Juudaime _can't_ die... Juudaime can't die... Juudaime's invincible, right? H-He can't die, right?" cried Gokudera.

A figure appeared in the shadows of the Millifore Headquarters left wing, running, then stopped, once she was in view. Tears flowed down her cheeks, her face the very image of Loss. The wide eyes of dark crimson glowed with passion, her entire body frozen in shock.

It was Nera-Noir Espér herself.

She wore the patched Millifore jacket, and a pair of soaked, dark jeans that held the image of a dragon.

"No," she whispered, "No, no, it can't be... no...no..." She turned tail and disappeared into the shadows, with fresh tears welling up in her eyes. Yamamoto was about to call after her, however retreated his focus back to Tsuna. His Boss needed him by his side right now.

In the opposite direction, Lambo and Chrome stepped into view.

"Goku-shi- TSUNA," Lambo gasped, as he ran to where his Boss lay.

"Boss..." Chrome didn't know what to say.

"Guys-" started Tsuna, before he shut his eyes again and sighed.

"Juudaime, no, don't speak – I'll call for help."

"There's no need, Gokudera-kun..." he whispered. Yet, he was surprised how calm he sounded. Inside, he was thinking, _No, no, I can't die... Everyone still needs me there, I still have to protect them... I still need a second chance, please... I can't die here... oh, God, whoever you are, up there, give me a second chance, please... _He thought back to long ago, so long ago its memory had dulled somewhat – it was before everything about the mafia, like how Tsuna would always be the wimp of the school and how his room would always be so messy. His mind hit the very minute, the very second he had made that idiotic little wish on that little, tiny wishing star. And he thought, _That wish – it had really done me good. I got friends. I got a family for me to take care of, to love, and to be with. Thank you, my little wishing star. But, will I ever see you again?_

Tsuna smiled. How had he never known before?

"You guys...tell...tell my pearl...my shining star...my little wishing star...tell Espér...tell...every...one...th...ank...you...." He closed his eyes, and fell into oblivion with an eternal smile upon his lips.

"_Juudaime..." _sobbed Gokudera, "Juudaime...Juudaime...Juudaime...no...no...no...it can't be..." He beat his fist on the road, thrusting it on the ground again and again, unable to release the horrible, throbbing pain inside.

"Tsuna..." Yamamoto said to himself. He was kneeling by his side, trying to be strong, to be strong for Tsuna's sake.

"Tsunaa...." cried Lambo. [Eh, so students learn from the teachers...? :D I know it's ruining the sad mood here, but I don't know where else to put this note... o.o]

"Boss," choked Chrome. Unable to look upon the unmoving face of her late Boss, she turned away and ran, choking back sobs, remembering all he had done for the betterment of the Vongola, the Guardians, and her. As Chrome rushed past, Ryohei and Dino had run over from some other place in Italy; their faces reached an expression of bitter understanding. The blood trail, leading from the dead body that the Guardians had been grieving over. The cloudy, raining, shielding, weeping skies. The familiar brown mess of hair. They knew.

"Tsuna," whispered Ryohei, as he rushed forward to confirm the unbelievable. Dino merely stood, unmoving from his spot, trying to process this grave piece of information.

Mukuro sat in his apartment, feeling the immense change in aura. He knew Tsuna was no longer on the earth. He knew Tsuna was untouchable now. He knew, he had no chance of making him a slave of his useless, purposeless plan. For some reason, he felt sadness. He didn't know why, but he was sad, sad for the death of the Vongola Boss, his Boss. He knew it would be harder for Kuro-sama to endure it; after all, she had been one of the major causes to his eventual death.

She had once been his sister.

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BYakuran took Espér up, to the roof of the left wing of the Millifore. Their golden retriever dog, Twinkle, followed behind. It was dark, cold, and wet. Though Byakuran invited Espér to share his umbrella, she refused. Twinkle climbed into Espér's arms. She held her in her arms and hugged her, simultaneously observing the events below. She saw Irie down in the courtyard, along with those twenty-or-so men. She was the first to see the cars in the horizon; Espér felt apprehensive. Her fearful face was hidden in the darkness and the rain; nevertheless, she turned her face away from Byakuran once more and peered down at the figures below.

Tsuna walked up to Irie; they talked for a bit. Then, the shooting started. Tsuna flew up into the air, high above her head. Espér saw the bullets zip and land on his body, tunneling into his clothes. They were special bullets, without a doubt. He plummeted to the ground. Espér saw everything.

"Juudaime!" Espér saw Gokudera and Yamamoto run onto the battlefield, into the crossfire, and get to Tsuna. One by one, as the Sistema C.A.I. reflected the bullets and had slain all but Irie, who had left in horror long ago, the twenty-or-so men, shooting at Gokudera, Tsuna, and Yamamoto, dropped dead, unmoving, never to live again.

Espér ripped her eyes from the scene and turned on Byakuran.

"WHY?! Why do I deserve this? To see Onii-san, of all people, die a man that never knew me... WHY?!" she screamed, tears in her eyes. She dropped Twinkle and ran, crying, into the building, and later to the ground. Byakuran followed immediately after, as he surely didn't want her to do what he knew she must be thinking of doing.

On the ground floor, she ran out the exit door, turning the corner – and coming directly into sight of the grieving Vongola. Her eyes widened.

Tsuna was already dead.

"No," she murmured, "No, no, it can't be... no...no..." In her mind, she thought, _They'll think me as a traitor now. Gokudera, Yamamoto... Maybe even Master will be forced to attack me some day... _She backed into the shadows, bumping into something soft. She cried in that soft, warm thing, protected, safe, comforted. The thing encircled its arms around her.

"Shh... Tsukiri... Tsuku-chan... Don't cry..." said Byakuran. "My child, what is wrong this time?" No answer.

The two fell silent, in the shadows of the Headquarters, in the back alleys of the streets of their city.

The wind picked up. Espér was still crying, with Byakuran holding her close, too close. He smiled, another segment of his plan completed. Espér was now his to Manipulate. The time was right; the invisible flames of Espér are circling round him, mixing with the aura of Byakuran. The wind circled around the two, joining both Byakuran's and Espér's flames, until the whole thing became a whiling twister of light, transparent blue. Soon enough, Byakuran's view of the outside was obscured completely by the white flame winds. Ancient scripts of the components of flame were soon rolled out, golden in their glory, and the flames themselves disappeared.

Espér had stopped crying; she was aware of what was happening around her. It had been a trap. A trap that had started to work, and shall inevitably seal Espér under the control of Byakuran.

She was going to lose control of her personality, her consciousness, her functionality, all in the hands of the man who had outwitted the most powerful being on Earth – God.

Byakuran had noticed her silence, remarking it with an evil grin.

Espér's face was twisted with rage, disgust, and a how-could-I-be-so-stupid feeling. But to hide it from Byakuran, she buried her face into his stomach, with an impulse to retch. _How could I have not known? That Julio Estreano, whose face had always bore the mark of two triangles – the very sign of poison and corruption. He– how could I have fallen to my knees in front of this despicable man?! The man, whom Onii-san had killed, had returned to kill the killer... Oh, how I wish I could strangle him..._

"Ah, so Tsukiri has woken up, hmm?"

"Julio Estreano, let go of me," growled Espér.

"Fufufufuu... so she finally decides to reveal herself before her final hour, is it?" Byakuran grinned idiotically. His hair turned black; the eyes of blue blackened to dark green.

"You'll regret this, Estreano. He'll be back – I know of it," growled Espér, her hair glowing, lightening into the familiar blonde hair Byakuran had seen so long ago.

"Fufufuu... Your Onii-san is dead; Shou-chan made sure of it."

"Don't be so sure, Julio!" cried Cortienne. She ripped herself from the man.

"My dear, you are the member of the Tsukiri. And since I have seen all of your knowledge for myself, I am completely sure," said Byakuran with a calculating grin on his lips.

Cortienne growled.

"But there's no need to quarrel with a person who will soon be a mere human slave of mine."

"Kurosei!"

"Fufufufu, she's angry..."

"Kurosei, kurosei, kurosei! Wait until you see Master comes! Wait until you kneel on the ground, defeated before her!! Wait until we can fight – fight fairly, Julio," snarled Cortienne. She summoned her Hawk's Eye.

"There is no use defying me, Cortienne. You, yourself, will go to the Vongola and ransack their Headquarters. You, yourself, shall one by one kill all those who dare utter the name Vongola," Byakuran nastily grinned. He called forth the ancient symbols of flame – they came in a rush, binding Cortienne in a web of golden thread. She cried out in pain; her limbs were all stretched out, arms above her head and legs far apart, and their hold was tight. Cortienne could not pull apart. She had been bound to the ground. Her teeth clenched tightly; Byakuran came forth, closer to her body. Their eyes looked at the other. Julio kneeled down.

"Foolish child. The one thing you haven't the slightest of experience is human emotion and how people play with one another," he grinned. His hand first touched her check; an evil thought crept into his mind. Cortienne closed her eyes, trying her best to ignore the fingers, the haunting smile, the wandering hand.

"Stop it, Julio. Your sick pleasure to the subduing of younger children just for the advantage of your own self and the power to be gained by it disgusts me. Stop abusing me, Julio!"

"Whatever, anyways I can do whatever I want to you after you're under my control," he smiled. He stepped back. Cortienne was allowed to stand back up; her bindings had been released.

There was nowhere to run. Cortienne stood, feet centimeters apart for balance. Her eyes whipped around her, looking, observing the ancient script. She was thinking – rapidly. She needed to save her life.

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Now review. :]

Again, I wrote this a long time ago. And you can see how this is similar to Wasted Life. Actually, it reflects what'll happen later on in the story. Not like mirror-clear reflect, more like giving you an idea of what to expect in the future. Some ideas in Wasted Life came from A Second Chance.

I'm still working on the re-write, and I have the second prologue re-write to update as well.

Thanks so much for reading! :D


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